Unrivaled Belle faces five in Ruffian

Sunday's $250,000

Ruffian

H. (G1) lost a little luster when the connections of Rachel Alexandra

(Medaglia d'Oro) opted to run her in last weekend's Lady's Secret S. at

Monmouth, but the 1 1/8-mile event at Saratoga will still feature UNRIVALED

BELLE (Unbridled's Song), who defeated the reigning Horse of the Year when

capturing the La Troienne S. (G2) at Churchill Downs two starts back. Trained by

Bill Mott, the four-year-old filly will meet five challengers.

Winner of the Real Prize S. in her stakes debut last fall, Unrivaled Belle

finished second when making her graded bow in the Gazelle S. (G1) in late

November. The gray lass opened 2010 with an unplaced finish over Santa Anita's

Polytrack and then got back on track at Gulfstream Park, notching her first

stakes victory with a 1 3/4-length score in the Rampart S. (G3). She was favored

at 3-5 in the Ogden Phipps (G1) off her victory in the La Troienne, but wound

second to Life at Ten (Malibu Moon), who came back to post a convincing

three-length tally in the Delaware H. (G2).

Unrivaled Belle will keep regular rider Kent Desormeaux in the saddle and is

119-pound highweight.

MALIBU PRAYER (Malibu Moon), who registered a 112 BRIS Speed rating for her 4

1/2-length win in the Lighthouse S. at Monmouth on June 26, is the top threat to

the favorite. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the speedy miss figures to show the way

from the rail with John Velazquez under a 116-pound impost. Canadian invader

TASTY TEMPTATION (Medaglia d'Oro) is next on the scale at 115 pounds. A

one-length winner of the Hill 'n' Dale S. last time, the Mark Casse-trained

filly will pick up the services of Julien Leparoux.

Longshots STARSHIP ANGEL (Running Stag), ZAPHYRA (Victory Gallop) and

CLASSOFSIXTYTHREE (Include) round out the field.

Saratoga will offer the $150,000

Fourstardave H. (G2) and $75,000

Curlin S.

on the undercard. The Fourstardave, which attracted a field of 12, including two

main-track only runners, for 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf, is in a state of

flux with four runners, including leading contenders WHATSTHESCRIPT (Ire) (Royal

Applause [GB]) and VIOLON SACRE (Stravinsky), cross-entered to Sunday's

Oceanport (G3) at Monmouth Park.

Trained by Gary Contessa, the six-year-old Whatsthescript returned from a

brief stud career to finish a good third in the July 10 Battlefield S. last

time, and the multiple Grade 2 winner will push his lifetime earnings past the

$1 million mark with a victory in the Fourstardave. The Patrick

Biancone-conditioned Violon Sacre, a French stakes victor, rallied to a neck

decision when making his second U.S. start in the Battlefield.

Multiple Grade 3 hero GET STORMY (Stormy Atlantic) will be the one to beat if

the abovementioned horses depart for the Oceanport.

The make-up of the Curlin is also subject to change with a pair of top

prospects, WINSLOW HOMER (Unbridled's Song) and MINER'S RESERVE (Mineshaft),

cross-entered to Saturday's Jim Dandy (G2). Holy Bull (G3) winner Winslow Homer

returned from a lengthy layoff with a third in the Iowa Derby (G3) and is

eligible to improve in his second start back for Tony Dutrow. Miner's Reserve, a

dominant 5 3/4-length allowance winner at Belmont for Nick Zito two back,

finished a decent second to Jim Dandy contender A Little Warm (Stormin Fever) in

a Delaware Park allowance last time and figures to show the way early beneath

Alex Solis.