Despite a strong work on the turf and a understated grass pedigree, there wasn’t much chatter about Pure Gossip in advance of Sunday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Miss Grillo at Belmont Park.  After defeating seven other 2-year-old fillies by 6 ½ lengths at odds of 23-1, she was the talk of the town.

Tucked in third along the rail as Take It Inside led through an opening half-mile in 48.99, Pure Gossip angled out between horses, sprinted to the lead with a furlong to go, and drew clear under apprentice Ryan Curatolo to pass her turf tryout with flying colors.

Her final time for 1 1/16 miles over soft turf was 1:47.71. The third-longest price on the board, she returned $48.20.

“We liked her turf work [5f in 1:02.40 on September 18 at Belmont] and she’s been [training] on the turf actually more than one time,” said Phil Serpe, who trains the daughter of Pure Prize for Viane Lizza’s Flying Zee Stable. “Her dam is a half-sister to the good horse that Mrs. Lizza owns, Street Game. It did not surprise us. She worked great on the turf, the question was the soft turf, but we thought she would be all right with it.”

Pure Gossip, a New York-bred out of the unraced Dixieland Band mare Dixieland Achiever, had run twice on dirt at Saratoga Race Course, debuting a winner on opening day and then finishing fourth in the Ann Clare overnight stakes on September 1. With a Grade 3 turf victory under her belt and $87,750 in career earnings, she is now under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs on November 4.

“I have to talk to Mrs. Lizza, but absolutely [we would consider the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf],” said Serpe. “That’s why we do this, for sure.”

Royal Bonnie crossed the wire second, but was disqualified to fourth for interference in the stretch, promoting Mystic Mama to the runner-up spot and Bourbonstreetgirl to third. Take It Inside, favored Alaura Michele, Salsa Mambo and Tanglewood Tale completed the order of finish. Slip Along Band and Sweet Cat were scratched.

Shkspeare Shaliyah

Photo by Adam Coglianese

One race later, in the Grade 3, $100,000 Pilgrim, Shkspeare Shaliyah closed from last into a very slow pace to give owner and trainer Doodnauth Shivmangal his first graded stakes victory.

Loping along in sixth as Captain Webb maintained a short lead through opening fractions of 27.24 and 55.41, Shkspeare Shaliyah was carried five-wide into the stretch and outkicked his rivals to win by a length.

“They were walking because the track is very loose,” said winning jockey Alex Solis. “He is a very special horse; he has a tremendous turn of foot. I had him relaxed the first part in behind the speed. I got him to the top of the stretch and I asked him and he finished really strong.”

The winner’s final time for 1 1/16 miles over Belmont Park’s soft turf course was 1:51.59 and he returned $6.80 as the 2-1 co-second choice in the field of six.

Shkspeare Shaliyah, a 2-year-old son of Shakespeare, was named for Shivmangal’s granddaughter, a fact which makes the horse, and today’s victory, especially meaningful to him.

“We refused a lot of money for this horse but we didn’t sell him because we bought this horse for my granddaughter and there is no amount of money that can buy this horse,” Shivmangal said. “This race was for my mom and my dad and for my sister who is very sick in Canada and for my granddaughter, Shaliyah, who this horse is named for.”

Shkspeare Shaliyah debuted in Saratoga, finishing third in a 1 1/16-mile turf race on August 27, then broke his maiden going the same distance at Belmont just two weeks ago. He has now earned $96,700 and is Breeders’ Cup-bound, Shivmangal said.

“He is definitely headed to the Breeders’ Cup [Juvenile Turf],” said the trainer. “I know this horse. He is the best horse I have ever trained. He is very professional.”

Kitten’s Kid got up by a nose for second and favored Fantastic Song was third. Captain Webb, Knock Rock, and Fox Rules completed the order of finish. State of Play was scratched.