Fillies get rematch in Salem County

Unspoken Word and Stormy West, separated by only a neck when they met three weeks ago, are rematched in Friday night's $60,000 Salem County Stakes at the Meadowlands.

The mile and 70-yard race, restricted to 3-year-old fillies, is scheduled for the turf course, but with a 60 percent chance of rain in the forecast for Friday, it could well be moved to the main track.

On dirt, the advantage would shift to Lost Etiquette, one of two fillies entered for the main track. She was cross-entered as a main-track-only runner in an optional claiming race with a $58,000 purse on Thursday's card at Belmont Park.

Assuming the race stays on the grass, the Salem County boils down to the front-running Unspoken Word and deep closer Stormy West.

Unspoken Word barely lasted going seven furlongs after setting some swift fractions three weeks ago, but may find herself unpressured up front in this spot. The only other speed in the Salem County field is just to her outside, So Much Ease, a filly whose fractions in back-to-back wins at Philadelphia Park were much slower than Unspoken Word has been running in New York.

Stormy West would benefit from a fast, contested pace and raced well in her only try over turf listed as something other than firm. Her trainer, Bill Mott, has gone 3 for 11 with the horses he has shipped across the Hudson at this meet.

One other filly who merits respect, based on her recent form and an ability to handle non-firm turf, is Datts Awesome. She has had nearly six weeks off since just missing in a similar small stakes at Monmouth Park and finished second over a grass course rated good at Aqueduct last fall.