By Christie DeBernardis
Feel Glorious (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) looks to take her American record to a perfect three-for-three in Saturday's GIII Soaring Softly S. at Belmont. Winner of one of her five starts in Europe for trainer George Baker, she concluded her foreign tenure with a second in the Soldier Holloy Youngster Cup S. at Hannover Oct. 28. Purchased by these connections at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale last fall, the bay was transferred to Christophe Clement and won her debut for that conditioner in a Gulfstream optional claimer Mar. 9. Feel Glorious rallied strongly to win Aqueduct's 1 1/16-mile Memories of Silver S. by a head next out Apr. 19 and should easily handle the cutback to seven furlongs here.
“Seven-eighths shouldn't be a problem. She has very high cruising speed,” Clement said. “The distance should be fine. Wherever the jockey is comfortable will be fine. She has plenty of pace, she doesn't need to be last. She can be wherever they put her.”
Wesley Ward saddles a strong contender in last year's Bolton Landing S. heroine Stillwater Cove (Quality Road). The bay checked in fifth after attending a fast pace in the GI Natalma S. at Woodbine in September and could only manage 10th after being bumped at the start of the inaugural Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint S. over a yielding course at Churchill Nov. 2. She returned to action at Keeneland in the Apr. 12 Limestone Turf Sprint S., where she checked in a solid second off that five-month layoff.
My Galina (Medaglia d'Oro) has only raced once, but she made a good impression, wiring a six-panel Aqueduct maiden Apr. 11. The $275,000 KEESEP buy earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort, which is the highest in this field.
Another runner of interest is the Chad Brown-trained Seek and Destroy (Verrazano). The filly made just one start on turf, finishing sixth second out at Saratoga Sept. 3, but boasts two strong wins since and hails from a barn known for its success both on turf and off long layoffs. Romping by 9 1/4 lengths in a sloppy off-the-turfer at Belmont Oct. 8, the $425,000 KEESEP buy followed suit with another decisive, front-running score in the Chelsey Flower S., which was also rained off the grass and onto a sloppy Belmont main track Oct. 28.
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