Belmont Park: Who Is Lady figures to have company out front

ELMONT, N.Y. – A couple of one-mile races for New York-bred fillies and mares – one on dirt and one scheduled for turf – share top billing Thursday.

In race 5, a $45,000 optional claimer scheduled for the Widener course, Who Is Lady will be favored over six others, after a luckless trip in her first start at the meet.

“There was a loose horse, and she was kind of intimidated at the quarter pole and again at the eighth pole,” explained trainer Mike Miceli.

Despite the trouble, Who Is Lady earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 84.

“She’s doing well and hopefully she will repeat that performance,” Miceli said.

Who Is Lady has dueled for the lead in her last three starts, and the 6-year-old mare may have plenty of company up front because Bailzee, Queen’s Harbor, and Awakened Beauty also have early speed.

Bailzee returned from a 54-week absence to just miss in an off-the-turf sprint for Pat Kelly earlier at the meet. She stretches out after dueling with multiple stakes winner Rose Catherine in an overnight stakes second time back.

Queen’s Harbor, the lone 3-year-old, wired the East View Stakes in her final start at 2. She comes off a front-running score against open $50,000 claimers for Rick Violette Jr.

Awakened Beauty returned from a layoff to win maiden and first-level allowance turf sprints in May, leading all the way in the latter race. The Bruce Brown-trained filly seeks her third straight, and stretches out past six furlongs for the first time.

Raffie’s Rose, Rogue’s Jewel, and Tutti Va Bene also entered for turf. Go Unbridled entered for dirt only.

In race 7, a $43,000, first-level allowance out of the chute, My Honey Laurie, second best in her last four starts for Brown, breaks from the outside post and will be favored to snap that streak against five opponents.

Little Larkey, a six-furlong maiden winner for Charlie Baker off a year layoff earlier this month, figures to vie for the early lead with Turf and Roses, a last-out maiden graduate at 21-1 for Rodrigo Ubillo.

The richest race on the program is a $60,000 maiden dash for 2-year-old fillies that begins the early pick four.

The field of eight includes the John Terranova-trained entry of Seductress and She’s Ready Mate. Terranova sent out another juvenile, Born Bullish, for a nine-length debut score last Friday.

Stopshoppingmaria and Miss Caterina are uncoupled for Todd Pletcher.

Love Numbers ships in for Wesley Ward, after fast recent workouts at Keeneland and Monmouth Park.