Stallion Heiress appears ready for a big effort in Politely

Stallion Heiress could be sitting on the best race of her form cycle Saturday when she meets comebacking stakes winners Party Boat and Queen Caroline in the $60,000 Politely at Monmouth Park.

The Politely is a one-mile turf race for fillies and mares. Thirteen were entered, including main track-only runner Sine Wave. The cast also includes Princess Gibraltar, a full sister to Group 1-winning millionaire Prince Gibraltar.

Stallion Heiress will be making her third start off a layoff. She last raced April 14, finishing third in the $98,000 Plenty of Grace at a mile on turf at Aqueduct, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Grade 2 winner Uni. The runner-up in the race was Grade 3 winner Fifty Five. Stallion Heiress, a multiple stakes winner, earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 91, which is the best last-race turf number in the Politely.

“She ran a game race off of one race back, against some pretty good fillies,” said Michael Stidham, who trains Stallion Heiress for Rick Kanter.

“We were looking for a spot to win another stakes with her, and we think this is a spot she should be live in.”

Stallion Heiress, who is cross-entered in the Grade 3 Gallorette on Saturday at Pimlico, would be making her Monmouth debut in the Politely. Stidham said it’s tough to predict how she might handle what might be a soft course.

“There’s just no way of knowing course condition – or even if it will be on the grass,” he said. “The forecast is rain every day this week through the weekend. We’re hoping it stays on.”

Jose Ferrer has the mount from post 6.

Party Boat is making her first start since finishing seventh in the Winter Memories on Nov. 23 at Aqueduct, a race that produced two next-out stakes winners. Queen Caroline last raced Oct. 28 at Belmont, finishing ninth in the Grade 3 Athenia, won by Off Limits, the next-out winner of the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar.

Moonlit Song back in stakes

Moonlit Song, the reigning West Virginia-bred Horse of the Year, returns to stakes competition Saturday night at Charles Town, where she meets rising talent Noblame in the $50,000 Fancy Buckles.

The 4 1/2-furlong stakes is restricted to fillies and mares bred in West Virginia. There are 10 in the body of the race and three on the also-eligible list, with Sassafras Springs needing one defection to join her half-sisters Unaquoi and Nellysford in the Fancy Buckles.

Moonlit Song went 8 for 11 last year at 3, and among her five stakes wins were the Fancy Buckles and the West Virginia Cavada Breeders Classic. She launched her 4-year-old season April 4, winning an opencompany allowance over 4 1/2 furlongs at Charles Town. It was her first out since Nov. 11.

“We took her home,” said trainer Tim Grams. “We wanted to give her a break. We didn’t want to keep her in training all winter and thought it was the time to give her time. We went back to the track mid-February. She trained really well.

“You never know if you’re bringing the same horse back, and she ran like she never went home.”

Grams bred and owns Moonlit Song with his wife, Judy. The filly will break from post 9 under Christian Hiraldo.

“I would like to stretch her out after this,” said Grams.

Noblame has won two stakes at Charles Town and will be taking on older rivals for the first time Saturday.

“She’s a really fast filly,” said trainer Joe Sharp. “Speed is what you need at Charles Town, especially going 4 1/2.”

Noblame will break from post 10 under J.D. Acosta.