How to bet the 2022 Soaring Softly Stakes

An overflow field of 13 sophomore fillies will vie in Saturday’s $100,000 Soaring Softly S. (G3) at Belmont Park. The seven-furlong grassy tilt on the outer lawn attracted a fascinating group of prospects in a race that I am looking forward to quite a bit. Of the trio of contenders in the field trained by Christophe Clement, I will give top billing to #2 Breeze Easy (10-1) in her U. S. debut.

The Bated Breath three-year-old will be making her first start of the season in the affair and could be poised to make a big impact at a fair price. Purchased for $350,000 in December, the European invader came on at the conclusion of her two-year-old campaign and seems ready to give a good impression of herself on Saturday under Javier Castellano.

Chad Brown’s #8 Haughty (5-2) is the one to beat. The daughter of Empire Maker concluded her three-race juvenile season with a close third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Fillies (G1) and has trained forwardly in the interim. She crossed the wire well in front in her lone prior run at Belmont Park, and the filly is well drawn to track the early tempo from the break under Flavien Prat, as well. The talented filly will be a part of many of my wagers.

Clement’s stakes-winning #9 Derrynane (7-2) flashed considerable potential in 2021, and the Quality Road miss kicked off her sophomore campaign with a neck second in the Limehouse S. at Keeneland, too. The Empire State-bred has yet to run longer than 5 1/2 furlongs to date, but I don’t expect the distance to pose a problem on Saturday. Joel Rosario has the call.

#12 Chardy Party (9-2) could be any kind for Wesley Ward. The second timer wasn’t especially professional in her debut score at Keeneland, but the Dark Angel gray was still impressive, nonetheless. A potentially wide trip may actually benefit the once-raced filly with top gun Irad Ortiz in the silks.

Soaring Softly Wagers

• $10 win/place/show: #2 Breeze Easy ($30)
• $.50-cent trifecta: 2,8 with 2,8,9,12 with all ($30)