Belmont: Elusive Pearl dominant in Pebbles

Elusive Pearl, who won the Riskaverse Stakes at Saratoga in her turf debut, shipped back from Fair Hill, Md., to win Monday's 19th running of the $100,000 Pebbles Stakes as much the best at Belmont Park.

Breaking alertly under Ramon Dominguez, Elusive Pearl quickly assumed command at the start of the one-mile turf race, set a controlled pace of 24.88 and 50.44 seconds while prompted by Divalarious, shook well clear after six furlongs in 1:13.64 and was under moderate urging to report home by 2 1/4 lengths over late-running Hessonite.

Elusive Pearl, a versatile daughter of Medaglia d'Oro whose first two victories came in the slop at Laurel and on the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs, returned $6.10 as the favorite in the field of 10 3-year-old fillies. She ran the mile in 1:36.61 over a Widener course rated firm, and improved to 4-0-1 from seven starts for owner Robert Goldsmith and trainer Michael Trombetta.

"We thought she would run well today and to have the opportunity to control the pace was a pleasure, it just fell right into her hands," said Trombetta. "She took well to the synthetic, but the grass is what I'm going to seek out going forward. Her two grass races have been spot-on."

Hessonite put in a good late run on the outside to finish two lengths clear for the runner-up spot over My Redbyrd. It was another neck back to Divalarious in fourth.