Miss Ella 5-2 Favorite in Christiecat

Miss Ella, a willing second in her turf debut in the Coronation Cup at Saratoga Race Course, was tabbed the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a field of 11 3-year-old fillies for Friday's $100,000 Christiecat, the opening-day feature as Belmont Park begins its 38-day fall championship meet.

 

The Christiecat, at six furlongs on the inner turf, is one of four stakes slated for opening weekend, to be followed on Saturday by the Grade 2, $500,000 Sands Point for 3-year-old turf fillies going 1 1/8 miles and the $200,000 Temperence Hill Invitational at 1 5/8 miles on the main track and on Sunday with the $100,000 Allied Forces at six furlongs on the turf.

 

Trained by Graham Motion for owner/breeder Jack Swain, Miss Ella was a sparkling front-running debut winner in March at Gulfstream Park, coming back a month later to register a 2 ½-length victory in the Grade 2 Beaumont at Keeneland. Stretched out to a mile in the Grade 1 Acorn on June 6 at Belmont, the Exchange Rate filly was in close contention for six furlongs before fading to seventh, and next held on for fourth in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 4.

 

Switched to the turf at the Spa, Miss Ella rated kindly in midpack before rallying three-wide and finishing 3 ¼ lengths behind Lady Shipman in the 5 ½-furlong Coronation Cup.

 

Joel Rosario has the return call on Miss Ella from post position 4.

 

Second choice at 4-1 is the Shug McGaughey-trained All in Fun, who shortens up after a non-threatening sixth-place finish in the one-mile Riskaverse on August 27 at the Spa. The chestnut daughter of Tapit has one win from five starts this year, taking an off-the-turf optional claimer in her 2015 debut at Gulfstream Park, and also registered a second-place finish in the Hilltop on May 15 at Pimlico Race Course.

 

Jose Ortiz will ride All in Fun from post position 6.

 

Expected to attract support as well is multiple stakes winner Devine Aida, who gets some class relief and returns to the turf after a fourth in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks followed by a ninth in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan on May 15, her last outing. Undefeated in two starts on the turf in Florida during the winter, including a win in the Ginger Brew at Gulfstream, the Unbridled's Song miss drew post position 2 under Javier Castellano and was listed at 5-1 on the morning line.

 

Sister Sophia will be making her first stakes appearance in the Christiecat, having impressed in all three career starts for trainer Lisa Lewis. The Tale of the Cat filly charged from 10^th to win her debut on May 7 and employed similar late-running tactics to take an allowance on June 15, both at Belmont Park. After hitting the gate in a second-level optional claimer on August 12 at Saratoga, she again rallied from last to miss by a nose over a turf course rated good.

 

Jose Lezcano rides Sister Sophia, 6-1 on the morning line, from post position 5.

 

Rounding out the field are Darling Sky, Sunny Sammi, Asia, Coco's Wildcat, My Cara Mia, Ancient Goddess and Spark.

 

The Christiecat will be run as race 8 on the nine-race card, with first-race post time of 12:55 p.m.