8 BEL Winter Memories (GIII)

$200.00 3yoF 1m Turf 122lbs +penalties

The Winter Memories – Grade III brings an 11-filly field to Belmont on Sunday, September 27, 2026, for one mile on turf and a purse of $200.000. Restricted to three-year-old fillies, the race was contested at 1 1/16 miles from 2017 through 2021 before moving to one mile beginning in 2023. Last year’s winner, Rain Rattle, captured the race for Bears Stable and Rosario J in 1:33.09. Among the connections returning with prior Winter Memories success, Mb Stables, winner with Change Perception(1) in 2017, sends out River Current, while Lezcano J, who won aboard High Ended in 2019 and Rowdy Spirit in 2023 and again aboard Barbara in 2024, rides She Is Into It.

1. Franklymydearscarlet — Big Jd Racing / Maragh Ro — Odds: 10-1

Franklymydearscarlet has done almost all of her best work sprinting on turf, compiling four victories from 10 turf starts and earnings of $300.610 overall. She won the 5 1/2-furlong Soaring Softly-G3 in June and followed that with a narrow second in another Grade III at the same distance before finishing sixth in the Galway. Her past performances show no route starts, making the move to a mile the major question. Her running lines consistently demonstrate early speed, and her preparation includes a sharp six-furlong turf work at Saratoga on September 5. Big Jd Racing owns/trains, with Maragh Ro listed to ride. She has enough turf ability and speed to matter, but proving she can carry that speed through a mile against established route fillies is a significant new assignment.

2. River Current — Mb Stables / Herndz Moreno O — Odds: 15-1

River Current comes directly from a breakthrough performance at this exact distance, winning a one-mile statebred maiden on firm Del Mar turf by one length on August 8. She stalked close to the pace before taking command, giving her both a one-mile turf victory and evidence of tactical speed. She had previously finished sixth in the Limestone-G3 sprinting on turf and fourth in the Virginia Oaks on dirt. Her record is still just one victory from seven starts, so this is a substantial jump from maiden company into a Grade III, but the distance and surface are no longer questions. Mb Stables, winner of the inaugural Winter Memories in 2017, owns/trains River Current, with Herndz Moreno O the probable jockey. She is an improving outsider with a chance to outrun her projected price if the recent maiden victory represents a genuine step forward.

3. Miss Comanche — Caseys Llc / Rivera L R Jr — Odds: 12-1

Miss Comanche enters in strong form after winning the one-mile Tranquility Stakes on dirt at Del Mar on September 5. She settled fifth early, moved to third and then finished strongly enough to prevail by a neck. She has four victories from 13 starts and one win from three route races. The obvious issue is surface: she has never raced on turf. There is at least some evidence that the switch has been contemplated seriously, as her September 14 preparation included a fastest-of-five one-mile turf work at Del Mar in 1:35.1. Caseys Llc owns/trains and Rivera L R Jr is listed to ride. Her current form and demonstrated one-mile ability make her interesting, but projecting her dirt form directly onto turf requires an assumption several rivals do not require.

4. Methodical — TwinTowersRacing / Alvarado N R — Odds: 8-1

Methodical is still relatively lightly raced, but her past performances are highly relevant to this race. Six of her seven starts have come on turf, and she has repeatedly competed at one mile. She broke her maiden at that distance at Monmouth in June, taking command during the race and winning by a length, then finished fourth by only a half-length in a one-mile allowance at Ellis Park after briefly reaching the lead. She has finished in the top three in five of six turf starts and owns one victory from five route races. TwinTowersRacing owns/trains, with Alvarado N R listed aboard. The Grade III represents a class test, but the distance and surface fit her existing record, and she has enough tactical speed to secure a useful position. She is a credible upset candidate.

5. Playas Caleta — First Flight Stable / Maragh C — Odds: 15-1

Playas Caleta finally broke through on September 2, winning a five-furlong turf maiden at Parx after earlier seconds at Saratoga and BTP. Her five-start record now stands at one win, two seconds and a third, all on turf. Her only route appearance came at 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct, where she finished third after racing fourth throughout much of the contest. That at least supplies evidence that she can handle a route, although the majority of her stronger recent performances have come sprinting. First Flight Stable owns/trains and Maragh C is the probable rider. She enters off a victory and has route experience, but jumping directly from a maiden victory into Grade III company makes this a difficult assignment.

6. She Is Into It — Jerry Garcia Racing / Lezcano J — Odds: 20-1

She Is Into It owns two victories from 10 starts and has considerably more route experience than several of the outsiders, including a victory at 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs as a two-year-old. Her 2026 campaign, however, has yet to produce a victory. She finished fifth in the Florida Oaks-G3 in her only turf appearance, seventh in a Churchill allowance on dirt and most recently third in a six-furlong Saratoga optional claimer. Her lifetime route record includes one win and one second from five starts. Jerry Garcia Racing owns/trains, while Lezcano J brings a notable Winter Memories history, having ridden three previous winners of this race. The route background and jockey connection are positives, but she needs to establish that she can reproduce her better dirt form on turf.

7. Gold Lion — Greyhound / Davis K — Odds: 7-1

Gold Lion brings a highly consistent turf profile into the Winter Memories: three victories, two seconds and two thirds from nine turf starts, along with two wins, two seconds and two thirds from six route appearances. Most importantly, she enters off a one-mile turf victory at Del Mar on July 31, when she controlled the race throughout and won by a length. She also finished second at this distance at Turf Paradise and has another second and third in one-mile turf races this year. Greyhound owns/trains and Davis K is listed to ride. Her class rises substantially here, but she has repeatedly demonstrated exactly the distance/surface combination required Sunday. She also possesses enough speed to influence the race from the beginning and rates as a legitimate value contender.

8. Wild Water Wagon — La Canada Racehorses / Carmouche K — Odds: 5-2

Wild Water Wagon has the strongest combination of turf accomplishment and graded-stakes form in the field. The four-time winner has earned $1,466.460, with all four victories coming on turf. Her 2026 season includes a victory in the one-mile Appalachian-G2 at Keeneland, where she rallied from sixth to win by a quarter-length. She then competed in the Edgewood-G2, Wonder Again-G2 and Belmont Oaks-G1 before shortening dramatically to 6 1/2 furlongs for the Music City-G2 on September 5. There she rallied from ninth to finish second by a neck in a 14-horse field. Her turf record stands at four wins and two seconds from nine starts, while her route record includes three wins. La Canada Racehorses owns/trains and Carmouche K is the probable jockey. The return to the same one-mile distance at which she already owns a Grade II victory, coupled with that strong recent Grade II sprint effort, makes her the filly to beat.

9. Good Bottom — Our Athletes / Castellano J J — Odds: 10-1

Good Bottom is an experienced turf-route filly with two victories and three seconds from eight turf starts, all eight of which are also listed as route races. Her 2026 campaign includes a one-mile fourth at Churchill, a second at 1 1/16 miles at Monmouth and a victory at 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream. Most recently she finished fourth in the 1 1/8-mile Pucker Up Stakes after racing second through the first three calls. Her running lines indicate that she generally prefers to race close to the pace rather than make one late run. Our Athletes owns/trains and Castellano J J is listed aboard. She needs to step forward against Grade III opposition, but the surface, distance and route experience are firmly established, making her a viable value possibility.

10. Solar Skel — TwinTowersRacing / Alvarado J — Odds: 6-1

Solar Skel is one of the most intriguing entrants because her turf record is excellent but comes entirely in shorter races. She has won three of four turf starts in 2026 and owns three lifetime victories from nine starts. Her latest appearance produced a head victory in the 5 1/2-furlong Pea Patch Stakes at Ellis Park, following an allowance victory at five furlongs at Monmouth. She has demonstrated considerable tactical speed and has been capable of either pressing or controlling the pace. The major unknown is unmistakable: she has never raced a route. TwinTowersRacing owns/trains and Alvarado J is the probable jockey. Her turf form gives her a legitimate chance if she carries that ability to a mile, but she is being asked to answer the distance question for the first time against graded opposition.

11. Free The Viking — Ajm Stables / Davis D — Odds: 9-2

Free The Viking may not have Wild Water Wagon’s graded accomplishments, but her current route form makes her dangerous. She owns three victories from 10 turf starts and has finished in the top three in eight of those races. Her route record is similarly consistent, with two wins, one second and five thirds from 10 starts. Most recently she finished third in the 1 1/16-mile Tomboy Stakes after rallying from seventh. Before that she was second at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar, fifth at one mile at Saratoga and a winner at 1 1/16 miles at Fort Erie. She has also finished third in one-mile races at Churchill and Santa Anita. Ajm Stables now owns/trains following her August claim from La Canada Racehorses, and Davis D is listed to ride. Her repeated route competitiveness gives her one of the more dependable profiles in the field, and a mile should present no distance concern.

Pace Structure & Race Outlook

There is enough speed here to make the opening stages important. Franklymydearscarlet has repeatedly raced on or immediately behind the lead in turf sprints, while Solar Skel has also shown genuine front-end speed. Gold Lion has already demonstrated that she can control a one-mile turf race from the beginning, and Good Bottom, Methodical and River Current have all shown the ability to operate close to the pace.

That creates the possibility of a fairly active first half rather than allowing one filly to dictate uncontested. The biggest question surrounds Franklymydearscarlet and Solar Skel: both possess speed, but neither has ever raced a route. Asking them to stretch that speed to a mile while dealing with established route horses could make the later stages substantially different from their sprint races.

That scenario should favor Wild Water Wagon. She does not require the lead and has already demonstrated the ability to settle behind horses before producing her run. Her Appalachian-G2 victory came at exactly one mile, and her latest Music City-G2 performance showed that she remains in strong form. Free The Viking is another who should appreciate an honest pace, while Methodical has enough tactical ability to stay closer and still make a late challenge.

The key dividing line in this field is proven turf-route performance. Several fillies arrive with appealing sprint form or dirt form, but Wild Water Wagon has already won a Grade II over a firm-turf mile. That is the most directly applicable graded evidence in the field.

Projected Finish

1. Wild Water Wagon — 5-2
2. Free The Viking — 9-2
3. Solar Skel — 6-1
4. Gold Lion — 7-1

Projected Winner — Wild Water Wagon

Wild Water Wagon gets the top selection because she requires the fewest projections. She is already a Grade II winner at exactly one mile on firm turf, owns four turf victories, has three route victories and comes into the Winter Memories following a neck second in the Music City-G2. The anticipated pace also suits a filly who has demonstrated that she can settle before making her move.

Main Danger — Free The Viking — 9-2: She brings an unusually consistent turf-route record and has been competitive from one mile through 1 1/8 miles. If the pace becomes demanding, her ability to make progress from farther back becomes especially attractive.

Best Value — Gold Lion — 7-1: She already owns a front-running victory over a firm-turf mile this summer and has finished first or second in four of six route starts. Her principal question is the rise in class rather than the distance or surface.

Live Longshot — Methodical — 8-1: She has repeatedly run a mile on turf, owns a victory at the distance and missed by only a half-length in her latest one-mile allowance despite briefly taking the lead. This is a meaningful class jump, but her established mile profile gives her a better foundation for the Winter Memories than several of the more lightly tested entrants.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES