Smuggler may surprise in Mother Goose

Summerly will make her first start on Saturday since capturing the Kentucky Oaks (Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com)

SUMMERLY (Summer Squall) will likely go postward as the favorite in

Saturday's $300,000 Mother Goose S. (G1) at Belmont Park, but two of her fellow

sophomores, Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) heroine SPUN SUGAR (Awesome Again) and

Acorn S. (G1) runner-up SMUGGLER (Unbridled), will make it a difficult task for

the Steve Asmussen-trained chestnut to run away with the nine-furlong contest.

Victorious last out in the prestigious Kentucky Oaks (G1), Summerly's only

loss from five starts this year came two back after a troubled start in the

April 9 Ashland S. (G1) at Keeneland. This season the three-year-old has also

annexed the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and the Silverbulletday S. (G3), and is easily

the class of this field. However, the chestnut miss has never raced at

the Elmont, New York, oval nor in a one-turn route, although that does not

concern her trainer.

"I think she's an awesome filly," Asmussen said. "She's just got a lot of

talent."

Jerry Bailey, aboard for the Kentucky Oaks win, returns in the saddle.

Smuggler recorded a field-topping BRIS Speed rating of 109 for her

second-place effort to Round Pond (Awesome Again) in the Acorn, her graded

debut. She has never finished worse than second in five career starts,

with two of her three wins, including her maiden score and an allowance run, at

the Mother Goose distance. Conditioned by Shug McGaughey,

Smuggler gets the services of Edgar Prado after being ridden by John Velazquez,

who is committed to ride the Todd Pletcher-trained English Channel (Smart

Strike) in the Colonial Turf Cup S. on the same day, in all five career starts.