ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Christophe Clement knows he has a runner in Space Launch, a good-looking debut-winning 2-year-old at Belmont Park on Sept. 18. What Clement doesn’t know is if Space Launch will be as effective on soft turf as he was on firm. It’s a question many of the trainers have about their 2-year-olds entered to run 1 1/16 miles in Saturday’s $80,000 Awad Stakes for 2-year-olds. Rain was plentiful Thursday and was expected to last at least into Friday morning, figuring to make the Belmont turf on the soft side for the final two days of the meet, Saturday and Sunday. The rails are down on both courses. Space Launch, a son of Bernardini, made a five-wide move in his debut to win by 1 1/2 lengths over firm ground. Scarlett Sky, the runner-up from that race, came back to win his maiden by 4 1/2 lengths on Oct. 23. “I loved his debut, thought it was very professional,” Clement said. “He beat a nice horse who came back to win well. I don’t have a clue if he can handle soft turf.” :: Get DRF Betting Strategies for Belmont’s Saturday card Catman, Wootton Asset, and Kidnapped finished 1-2-3 in the Laurel Futurity, run in this crazy year at Pimlico, over a course labeled yielding. Trainer Graham Motion had the French import Wootton Asset for only a few weeks before he ran him. While the plan was to send him to the U.S. seeking firm ground, Wootton Asset seemed to handle the yielding turf well enough at Pimlico. “I thought he ran really well, slugged it out and it was so soft,” Motion said. “I feel like he’s done well since the race and I’d like to think he’d move forward from it.” Wootton Asset does have to overcome the outside post in this bulky 12-horse field. Joel Rosario rides. Shawdyshawdyshawdy was a debut winner at Saratoga for Jorge Abreu and has since finished fourth in both the Juvenile Stakes at Kentucky Downs and the Grade 2 Pilgrim here. With the rails down on the turf course, he could benefit from having the inside post. Stepdancer won his debut at 24-1 for trainer Barclay Tagg at Saratoga over good ground. He finished third behind Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf-bound runners Fire At Will and Public Sector in the Pilgrim. :: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Belmont Clocker Report It Can Be Done was a front-running winner of the Nownownow Stakes at Monmouth Park going a mile on turf and is back in this spot. It’s a Gamble finished fourth behind It Can Be Done, partly due to an error in tactics, according to Kelly Breen, the trainer of It’s a Gamble. “There was no pace in the race and we took back and the winner went wire to wire,” Breen said. “Our horse is training well. He’s trained well on dirt also, so we’re going to run rain or shine.” Like a Saltshaker, Claw, Take Profit, and Heat of the Night complete the field. Master of the Ring would need one scratch to get into the race.