Grace Hall returns in Ruffian

Grace Hall, a four-time graded stakes winner who has been away from the races for 13 months, makes her first start for trainer Bill Mott in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian Stakes against five rivals at Belmont Park.

Grace Hall, the winner of the Grade 1 Spinaway in 2011, fractured her right front foot and bruised her left front foot when she finished last as the even-money favorite in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom in April 2013. She has breezed a dozen times since February for Mott. This will be her first start in a one-turn race since winning the Spinaway for her previous trainer, Tony Dutrow.

Grace Hall drew post 5, one spot inside of Fiftyshadesofhay, last year’s Black-Eyed Susan Stakes winner. Six Queens, My Wandy’s Girl, Parc Monceau, and Toasting also entered.

Dwyer likely for Bay of Plenty

Bay of Plenty was most impressive in winning a first-level allowance race by 9 1/4 lengths Wednesday for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing.

Though his time of 1:35.97 was 1.18 seconds slower than Readthebyline’s time in a $25,000 claiming race 30 minutes earlier, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. basically had Bay of Plenty eased up in the final 100 yards.

Bay of Plenty earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure for the win, compared with a 106 for Readthebyline.

While McLaughlin didn’t shut the door entirely on a run in the Belmont Stakes, he seemed more inclined to run in the Dwyer Stakes on July 5.

“I’m not going to rule it out,” McLaughlin said of the Belmont. “We will talk. It’s a big jump after being conservative. The first thought is Dwyer.”