TURNING BACK

CLASS AND DISTANCE SUIT CLAIRIERE IN MOTHER GOOSE,

Clairiere will be racing at a one turn for the first time in her career Saturday, when she meets the unbeaten Always Carina and the sharp Make Mischief in the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose at Belmont Park.

The race, which is over 1 1/16 miles, is for 3-year-old fillies. The field of five is completed by Grade 3 winner Zaajel and the well-bred Illiogami.

“I think it’s a talented field,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Clairiere. “There’s plenty of ability in the race. We’re very fortunate to have her for this spot.”

Clairiere is the most accomplished of the quintet, as a Grade 2 winner of more than $400,000. Asmussen said he believes Saturday’s race is the right fit for the filly in her first start since April. He’s saddled the winners of four editions of the Mother Goose.

“The Mother Goose is an extremely significant race with us, having previously been able to run horses like Rachel Alexandra and Midnight Bisou,” Asmussen said. “It’s a very special race to us. I thought coming out of her fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks, this was the right spot to start her back. We’re planning on going to Saratoga after this.”

Clairiere is a two-time winner at 1 1/16 miles. She won her career debut at the trip in a maiden special weight last October at Churchill Downs. Clairiere went on to win the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra at the distance in February at Fair Grounds. In more recent times, she was beaten just three lengths in the Kentucky Oaks at 1 1/8 miles April 30.

“She ran well, but she’s capable of better,” said Asmussen.

The Kentucky Oaks has become a key race, with runnerup Search Results coming back to take the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont and 10th-place finisher Crazy Beautiful returning to win the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita.

As for Clairiere, there’s a great deal of upside for the Stonestreet Stables homebred by Curlin out of Cavorting, who was a multiple Grade 1 winner in New York.

“All indications on Clairiere are the farther she goes, the older she gets, the better she’s going to be,” said Asmussen.

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount from post 3.

Always Carina also has a bright future. She’s won both of her starts by a combined margin of 13 3/4 lengths – with Beyers in the 90s. Her most recent effort was a 9 3/4-length victory over first-level allowance rivals at a mile May 20 at Belmont Park.

“She couldn’t have been more impressive in her first two starts,” said Chad Brown, who trains Always Carina for her breeder, Three Chimneys Farm. “We’re excited to try her in stakes company.”

Since her most recent start, Always Carina, who is a halfsister to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Structor, has turned in a pair of bullet works at Belmont. The first was a halfmile move in 48 seconds June 12 and the other five-eighths in 1:00.60 on June 19.

“She’s a filly that’s always trained really well,” Brown said. “She’s trained brilliantly and run brilliantly.”

Flavien Prat has the mount from post 2 on Always Carina, who has wired her rivals in both of her starts. Brown said tactics would be left to Prat.

“We’ll let Flavien dictate,” he said. “She has plenty of early speed. If she makes it out there on the lead, that’s fine. If she has to rate for some reason, I don’t think she’ll have a problem doing that.”

Make Mischief could be prominent breaking from the rail under Eric Cancel. She raced with the pace last out when third in the one-mile Acorn on June 5. Gary Barber owns the stakes-winning daughter of Into Mischief, who is trained by Mark Casse.

Zaajel is moving from turf back to dirt, on which she won the Grade 3 Forward Gal in January at Gulfstream. Illiogami has won back-toback races at 1 1/16 miles, her latest a first-level allowance at Churchill. She is by Tapit and out of the multiple Group 1-winning mare Odeliz.

Minaun tops Wild Applause

Minaun returns to stakes company for the $100,000 Wild Applause, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies. She faces eight others, including Bye Bye, winner of the Grade 3 Soaring Softly last month at Belmont.

Minaun won her maiden against males in the Group 3 Marble Hill over six furlongs on turf last July in Ireland. She’s raced once since, winning a first-level allowance at the same distance April 30 at Belmont. Minaun defeated older females and earned an 85 Beyer, the best career number in the Wild Applause.

“She’s training really well,” Brown said. “She ran dynamite first time in this country for us. She’s stepping up to a mile and I don’t think she’ll have any problem with the distance.”

Manny Franco has the mount from post 2.

Also in the field is Lovestruck, an unbeaten stakes winner and half-sister to Scat Daddy, sire of Triple Crown winner Justify.

BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON