Some of us remember when The Mother Goose was the middle leg of the Filly Triple Crown also called The Triple Tiara. It was a mile and an eighth and plenty a champion won it. Even the great Ruffian herself. 

Like many of our former top stake races The Mother Goose has lost some prestige and luster but this year at the new and “improved” Belmont Park we have a competitive field of 11 set to go to post. Not bad for a stake nowadays.  

I see a legitimate amount of pace along with a few stalkers in here. I want someone behind that first flight, and I land on Answered Prayers. 

I see a lot to like here. First, it is Mott and Alvarado fresh off a win in the Classic. She should be sitting where I project the winner to be and she ran well off Lasix last out in a Churchill Downs stake. She is an honest filly, and I don’t think she has to move up as much as what I view as a generous 8-1 morning line would suggest.  

I’d prefer two turns, this is one, I’d prefer a mile and an eighth and this is a mile and a sixteenth, but I think the trip along with the pace can neutralize those two minuses and she can rally strong enough to pull off an upset here.  

The race prior to The Mother Goose, ladies first, is The Dwyer. We’ll see the return of Ted Noffey. He has been gone over a year, returns in a tough spot and I see him as a vulnerable favorite I will likely bet against. Decisive Win adds blinkers, has some speed and has flashed promise against decent horses. At 15-1 he is worth a look. Igniter looks like he should improve going back to one turn, and he gets hot Manny Franco.  

The most likely winner in my view is Sea Strike. No, he wasn’t good enough to seal the deal in The Travers and Golden Tempo and Napolean Solo didn’t exactly flatter that race, but this colt was spotting them some experience and who knows how good the winner leading Change is. Possibly very.  

Sea Strike should be more seasoned and the cut back to the mile should leave him with plenty of gas in the tank the last eighth of a mile. For me, I’ll probably use all three in the late Pick 5, betting against favored Ted Noffey and single Answered Prayers going back at Sea Strike as a double up or triple up horse in the sequence. If things work out that could set me up nicely.