Pilgrim Stakes filled with uncertainties

The Grade 3 Pilgrim at Belmont Park on Saturday is not an easy race to nail down. None of the entrants in the 1 1/16-mile turf race for 2-year-olds has won more than a single race, and the wet forecast is likely to result in less-than-firm conditions.

Oscar Performance will be favored off his visually impressive 10 1/4-length maiden turf victory at Saratoga, but the field contains several other nice maiden winners at the Spa and two runners who come out of the With Anticipation Stakes, which was won by Made You Look, a top contender for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

In addition to the nine horses who are entered for grass, there are two main-track-only also-eligibles in case the race is taken off the turf. If that happens, Sir Douglas, who is entered for grass but has won on the main track, also becomes a major player.

Oscar Performance, trained by Brian Lynch, was bumped early and shuffled back in his career debut, finishing sixth. In his second-out victory, he went right to the lead from post 10, was smoothly rated on an open advantage by jockey Jose Ortiz through six furlongs in a comfortable 1:14.04, then left the field for dead in the stretch while being taken in hand for the final 70 yards of the 1 1/16-mile race.

The race has been productive, too. Of the six horses in the 10-horse field to have run back, two have won, and three others have finished third in their next start. Seventh-place finisher Unbridled Eagle won a seven-furlong maiden race on dirt at Saratoga, and eighth-place finisher Nassau Talent won a maiden race on turf at Indiana Grand.

J. S. Choice, trained by Todd Pletcher, and Frostmourne, trained by Christophe Clement, may not have won by as large a margin as Oscar Performance, but each looked good in his win.

Although still a maiden, Oiseau de Guerre ran a big race for trainer Chad Brown in his debut. Dragged off the pace early, he moved into contention on the backstretch. He then made a quick move to the lead on the far turn, opened up a lengthy lead, and then either lost his concentration or tired and was run down late.

Oiseau de Guerre is a half-brother to My Man Sam, who finished fourth in the Pennsylvania Derby for Brown last weekend.

Bird’s Eye View, trained by Mike Dini at Monmouth Park, finished a rallying third in the With Anticipation at Saratoga, and My Bo Chop, trained by Arnaud Delacour, was fifth in that race.

My Bo Chop is the only member of the field to have raced over softened turf. A French import, he finished second of 15 in a maiden race at Toulouse that was run over good-to-soft ground. On Aug. 6, he finished fourth of nine in a $61,000 stakes at Vichy over soft turf. The Aug. 31 With Anticipation was his U.S. debut, and he certainly has a right to improve Saturday.