Girl Talk ends layoff in one-mile allowance

ELMONT, N.Y. – Girl Talk has not been the easiest horse for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin to keep in the entry box. Coming toward the end of her 4-year-old season, Girl Talk will make just the fifth start of her career Thursday in a second-level allowance race going a mile at Belmont Park.

Girl Talk has won her last two starts, but the first of those victories came at Saratoga in July 2016. She did not run again until March at Gulfstream Park, where she got up to win a first-level allowance going a one-turn mile after being kept to a steady drive by Luis Saez.

McLaughlin said Girl Talk “had a minor throat issue,” after her last race.

“She’s a very nice filly and we’re happy to get her back and hope she doesn’t need one,” McLaughlin said. “I do think she’s a stakes filly.”

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Girl Talk will be taking on several stakes-caliber fillies in this spot, including Going for Broke. Second to Songbird in the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga in 2016, Going for Broke was also beaten just a neck by Carina Mia in the Shine Again Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 2 in her first start of this year. Going for Broke came back to run last of four in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga on Aug. 26.

“We’ll use some discretion, try to get her back in form after a poor performance in Saratoga,” trainer Chad Brown said. “Her first performance was quite good. Didn’t fire when we put her two turns. Getting her back to one turn at a mile would suit her.”

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez has an uncoupled entry of Smile Big and Literata in this spot. Literata is coming off a victory in the Saratoga Dew Stakes for New York-breds at Saratoga on Aug. 14. Smile Big finished last after trouble at the start in a turf allowance at Saratoga on Sept. 2.

Annie Rocks, Tejana, Jules N Rome, and Rachel’s Temper complete the field.

KEY CONTENDERS

Girl Talk, by Medaglia d’Oro
Last 3 Beyers: 79-81-75

◗ Returned from a 231-day layoff last March to win an allowance at Gulfstream, a race from which three horses came back to win their next start.

◗ This will be her first start in 193 days.

◗ Ran second in her only other start at Belmont Park, which came in June 2016.

Going for Broke, by Blame
Last 3 Beyers: 57-91-87

◗ Two of her three victories have come in one-turn races at Belmont Park.

◗ Beaten a neck by Grade 1 winner Carina Mia in the Shine Again Stakes off a nine-month layoff. Carina Mia came back to run second, beaten a neck, in Sunday’s Grade 2 Gallant Bloom.

Literata, by Read the Footnotes
Last 3 Beyers: 78-77-71

◗ Has won her last two, including a stakes, and is being offered here for the optional claiming tag of $62,500.

◗ Has a record of 3-4-1 from 12 starts over Belmont’s main track.