Proven fillies appear to have edge in Miss Grillo

ELMONT, N.Y. – There may be no other stakes race that trainer Chad Brown has dominated more than the Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park. Brown has won six of the last seven runnings of this race and seven overall dating back to 2008.

Though Brown has two of the eight entered in Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, neither Jazzique nor Selflessly are the horses to beat in this 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

Crystalle and Sparkling Sky have already proven effective going long. Crystalle and Sparkling Sky crossed the finish line first and third in an Aug. 4 maiden race at 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga. In a controversial call by the stewards, Crystalle was disqualified from first and placed third while Sparkling Sky was elevated to second.

Crystalle came back to win the $100,000 P.G. Johnson Stakes while Sparkling Sky came back to win a maiden race. Swanage, who finished fifth that day, also came out of that race to win her next start.

In the P.G. Johnson, Crystalle was moving around in the starting gate. An assistant starter was trying to straighten her out, and when the doors opened Crystalle leapt in the air. Reserved in last by Joel Rosario, Crystalle came with a steady run to win by a neck.

“She went straight up in the air and missed the break,” trainer John Kimmel said. “I didn’t think she had much of a chance considering she was moving up in class off her first start. But she settled really well, he didn’t push the button to get into contention, and when he asked her she gave him a petty nice response. Even at the eighth pole I thought it looked pretty desperate, but she found a gear kind of late and was able to get up just in the nick of time.”

Crystalle has worked twice over Belmont Park’s turf since then, both breezes in company with the 2-year-old Famished, who was scheduled to run in Saturday’s Pilgrim Stakes here.

Rosario will ride Crystalle from post 4.

Sparkling Sky was beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Crystalle in that Aug. 4 maiden race, with Jose Ortiz standing up on her in deep stretch. She came back on Sept. 1 to win a 1 1/16-mile maiden race by 2 1/2 lengths, drawing clear impressively in the final furlong.

“I was pleased with the way she came back and improved in her second race and the form from her [first] race held up with [Crystalle] coming back to win the P.G. Johnson,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Hopefully, another race under her belt moves her forward again.”

Jazzique and Selflessly finished 1-2 in an Aug. 28 maiden race going 5 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga. Both rallied very wide in the stretch and should have no problem stretching out.

English Breeze ran a sneaky good third in the P.G. Johnson and may appreciate the bigger turf course at Belmont.

Trainer Michelle Nevin sends out the uncoupled entry of Ava K’s Girl and My Sassy Sarah. Wicked Title won an off-the-turf race at Saratoga on Aug. 22.