Garden City Stakes 2013 Contenders at Belmont Park

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 1 Garden City Stakes comes our way this Saturday, September 14 from Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The race will feature three year old fillies willing to go 1 1/8 miles on Belmont Park's turf course for a purse of $350,000.

A large but solid field of 11 will line up in the Garden City Stakes - race 9 on Belmont Park's Saturday schedule. Post time is 5:17 PM. Here is a look into the credentials of all 11 entries for this Grade 1 stakes.

2013 Garden City Stakes Race Favorite Entries

Emollient - Bill Mott trained Emollient has eight career starts with four wins and two second place finishes. She had a fifth in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Oaks behind Dreaming of Julia March 30 but bounced back in a big way with a terrific nine length win in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland at 6-1 odds April 6. She followed that with a sixth as 4-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes after stumbling at the start at Pimlico May 17 and a terrific win last time out in the Grade 1 American Oaks July 13 in her only career start on grass. She has won every second start in her last five overall but in between wins has been some uncharacteristically poor results. If the pattern holds true Emollient is in for a tough race - hopes are she breaks the trend. Emollient is the 3-1 favorite Saturday and departs from the rail with Mike Smith in the saddle.

Discreet Marq - Christophe Clemente pupil raced five straight minor stakes races ahead of the Sands Point Stakes with OK results including a second in the Sweetest Chant Stakes January 27, a third in the Ginger Brew Stakes January 1, a win in the Lie Low Stakes November 22 and a fourth and a third back in October. She won the Grade 2 Sands Point in impressive fashion in her graded stakes debut and followed that with a win in the minor Eventail Stakes by 6 1/4 lengths here at Belmont Park July 4. Last time out was her most impressive score to date - in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks August 17. Three straight wins has Discreet Marq looking like one of the ones to beat Saturday. She has won five of nine grass starts, and has placed in all but one of those nine. She will line up in Post 2 Saturday as the 7-2 second choice.

Garden City Stakes 2013 | Remaining Contenders

Alterite - French bred filly makes her North American debut Saturday after nine starts at home produces three wins, two seconds and a third place finish. She hasn't won since March and had some rough results in some big races in France - a sixth in the Grade 1 Prix de Diane Longines-French Oaks and a tenth in the Grade 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches-French One Thousand Guineas but sandwiched in there is a respectable second in the Grade 1 Pour Moi Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary in May. She is listed as the third choice on the morning line at 4-1 odds and will depart from post 4.

Watsdachances - Chad Brown trained Irish bred filly started her career in Europe but it wasn't until she hit North American soil that she emerged a contender. Watsdachances won her first two starts in America - the P.G. Johnson Stakes in her debut and the Grade 3 Miss Grillo at Belmont Park October 8 and then followed that with a very good second behind Flotilla in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November. In her only starts since the Breeders' Cup she was fourth in the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland April 18, an OK third in the Grade 3 Sands Point Stakes at Belmont Park May 27, second in the Grade 2 Lake George July 24 and second again last time out to Caroline Thomas in the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes. Javier Castellano will guide Watsdachances from post 10 as the 6-1 fourth choice.

Summer of Fun - had some good results to end her 2012 campaign - a third in the Grade 3 Jessamine Stakes in October and a third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf but she hasn't raced in graded stakes company this year. In three starts in 2013 Summer of Fun has a win in the minor Auntie Mame Stakes last time out at Saratoga, a second in the minor Hilltop Stakes in May and an Allowance Optional Claiming score in March. Summer of Fun is 8-1 on the morning line and departs from post 6.

Garden City Stakes betting at Belmont Park with OffTrackBetting.com

Caroline Thomas - Barclay Tagg trained filly has nine career starts with a second and two wins to start her career. She has six starts in 2013 - on OK third January 27 in the minor Sweetest Chant Stakes at Gulfstream and a pair of fifths in graded stakes action - in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream March 2 and the Grade 2 Sands Point May 27. She is coming off her best career performance however - an upset win in the Grade 2 Lake Placid August 18 over Watsdachances and Concise after a seventh in the minor My Princess Jess Stakes July 20 and a third in the Bit of Whimsey Stakes June 16. She is an intriguing 10-1 on the morning line as she sets out from the far outside post.

With Sugar On Top - Kiaran McLaughlin trainee is coming off an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Saratoga August 22 after failing to place in her previous three starts including an ugly eighth in the minor Princess Jess Stakes July 20. She also had an Allowance Optional Claiming score in January and a MSW win in August of last year for the only three on-the-board finishes in her seven year career. With Sugar On Top is currently listed at 12-1 odds on the morning line.

Concise - will make just her third start in North America for trainer H. Graham Motion - the first being a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Saratoga July 25 and the second being a fourth August 18 in the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes. Before that were six starts in England with a win in September and one third place finish in April of this year. Concise departs from post 5 at 15-1 odds.

Praia - Kenneth McPeek trained filly had some good results in graded stakes action earlier this summer - a pair of seconds in the Grade 3 Regret Stakes in June and the Grade 3 Virginia Oaks in July after a second in the minor Edgewood Stakes in May. Last time out was a fifth in the minor Auntie Mame Stakes at Saratoga. Praia has one MSW score in eight career starts to go along with five second place finishes. She sits at 20-1 odds - possibly the best value in the field.

Effie Trinket - Richard Violette trainee makes her graded stakes debut Saturday having won two of her last three starts and finishing second in the other. Last time out was a second in the minor Auntie Mame Stakes at Saratoga August 10 after a win in the minor Diamondrella Stakes at Belmont Park in July. She has four wins, one second and one third place finish in eight career starts.

Precarious - will race in stakes company for the first time after five starts produced just one MSW score and a second in a MSW in her career debut. She enters off a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming races in which she finished sixth August 19 and fifth July 25. She is currently listed as the longest shot in the field at 30-1 odds.

2013 Garden City Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 9 on Belmont Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:47 PM.