Morticia might try going a mile again in Wild Applause

ELMONT, N.Y. – Morticia, the nose winner of last Saturday’s $100,000 Soaring Softly Stakes at Belmont, could return in the $100,000 Wild Applause Stakes here on June 24, trainer Rusty Arnold said Monday.

Morticia pressed a strong early pace before taking the lead turning for home in the Soaring Softly and held off Lull for the victory, her third in four starts on turf.

The Soaring Softly was at seven furlongs. The Wild Applause is at a one-turn mile. Morticia’s lone loss on turf came when she finished second to La Coronel going a mile in the Grade 3 Appalachian at Keeneland.

“I think at one turn, she’ll do the mile,” Arnold said. “I don’t think it’ll be a problem. I know that was about the end of her the other day, but she had done a lot of work to go [six furlongs in] 1:08. At a mile, the fractions might be softer on her.”

Arnold said that Wild Shot, the winner of the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile on Kentucky Derby Day, will make his next start in the Grade 2, $500,000 Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes undercard.