by Steve Bailey

Grade 1 winner Pure Clan will take on her most accomplished set of challengers since a third-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) when she faces nine fellow three-year-old fillies in the $250,000 Garden City Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Belmont Park.

The chestnut Pure Prize filly, trained by Bob Holthus for a partnership that includes IEAH Stables and Pegasus Holding Group Stables, has captured her previous two starts on turf, winning the Regret Stakes (G3) by 2 3/4 lengths on June 14 at Churchill Downs and the American Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1) by three-quarters of a length on July 5 at Hollywood Park.

Unbeaten in four starts as a juvenile, Pure Clan has hit the board in each of her five starts this season, including a second in the Honeybee Stakes (G3) on March 16 and a third in the Fantasy Stakes on April 6, both at Oaklawn Park. Pure Clan is unbeaten in four career turf starts.

The field for the 1 1/8-mile turf race also includes Grade 1 winner Ariege and Grade 2 winners Backseat Rhythm, Raw Silk, and My Princess Jess.

Ariege, who also is owned by IEAH and Pegasus Holding Group, rides a three-race unbeaten streak into the Garden City, including a half-length victory in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) on March 8 at Santa Anita Park.

The Doneraile Court filly followed up that performance with back-to-back victories in the Stonerside Beaumont Stakes (G2) on April 10 at Keeneland Race Course and the Madame Jumel Stakes on August 9 at Saratoga Race Course for trainer Bobby Frankel.

“She’s been training great,” Frankel said of the filly, who will be ridden by Alan Garcia. “I really like how she’s been doing.”

Stonerside Stable’s Country Star, winner of the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) and the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (G1) as a juvenile, was unplaced in her first two starts this season in the Ashland Stakes (G1) and the Kentucky Oaks but returned after a 3 1/2-month layoff to post a half-length victory in an allowance/optional claiming race on August 18 at Saratoga.

Lael Stables’ My Princess Jess has won her past three starts, including the Boiling Springs Stakes (G3) on June 28 at Monmouth Park and the Lake George Stakes (G2) on July 25 at Saratoga.

Backseat Rhythm also enters off a victory, capturing the Lake Placid Stakes (G2) on August 15 at Saratoga for trainer Patrick Reynolds.

Country Star and Senior Rita Lady have been listed as main-track-only entrants.

Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times

The field, in post position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:

1. Raw Silk (Malibu Moon), Edgar Prado, 120, Tom Albertrani;

2. My Princess Jess (Stormy Atlantic), Eibar Coa, 120, Barclay Tagg;

3. Alwajeeha (Dixieland Band), John Velazquez, 118, Kiaran McLaughlin;

4. Backseat Rhythm (El Corredor), Javier Castellano, 120, Patrick Reynolds;

5. Pure Clan (Pure Prize), Julien Leparoux, 122, Bob Holthus;

6. Shaker [Ire] (Key of Luck), Cornelio Velasquez, 116, Michael Bell;

7. Ariege (Doneraile Court), Alan Garcia, 118, Bobby Frankel;

8. Satan's Circus (Gone West), Corey Nakatani, 116, Christophe Clement;

MTO Country Star (Empire Maker), No rider, 118, Bobby Frankel; and

MTO Senior Rita Lady (Fusaichi Pegasus), Rajiv Maragh, 116, Richard Violette Jr.