Ward pair tough if race stays on turf

Wesley Ward has entered Mentality and Nootka Sound against seven other 3-year-old fillies in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Soaring Softly at Belmont Park. But he and others with horses in the seven-furlong turf race figure to be spending more time pondering the weather and state of the Belmont Park turf course than the competition.

If it rains as forecasted Saturday, saturating a course that was already soggy by midweek, Ward could have some decisions to make.

Reached Wednesday, Ward said he would scratch Mentality if the Soaring Softly comes off the grass. He seemed inclined to withdraw Nootka Sound as well if the race comes off the turf, even though she has won on dirt. Ward noted that her victory over dirt came going 4 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland last year in her debut and that she was able to use her speed to win at the short distance.

If the race stays on turf, both Ward fillies rate as contenders. Both are established grass sprinters, with Nootka Sound coming off a runner-up finish against males in the April 14 Bridgetown at Aqueduct, and Mentality finishing a close fourth with a troubled trip in the Mizdirection there. Both races were at six furlongs on turf.

“She absolutely should have won it,” Ward said of Mentality’s race in the Mizdirection. “She was blocked and blocked and blocked.”

Mentality had shown speed in her previous four races, but was forced to come from off the pace because of traffic trouble in the Mizdirection. Mentality figures to be much more prominent early with a clean run in the Soaring Softly.

Mizdirection runnerup Africa and third-place March X Press are back in the Soaring Softly. March X Press races for Todd Pletcher, and Africa goes for Chad Brown, who also has Brattata in the race.

If the race is taken off the turf, it would benefit Elevenses and Strategic Dreams, who have both raced exclusively on dirt and exhibited an affinity for off going.

Elevenses splashed her way to a 10 1/4-length victory at Aqueduct in her only race over a wet track and won two of her three subsequent starts, all on fast tracks at Gulfstream Park. She won the Any Limit Stakes in her last start and would likely be the favorite Saturday if the race comes off the turf.

Strategic Dreams, meanwhile, won the Ruthless over sloppy going at Aqueduct in January, one of her four victories from six starts.