Wedding Toast & Via Strata On Course For Ruffian

Time/Date - 14.53hrs local time/Saturday, May 9, 2015
Racecourse/Country - Belmont Park/USA
Surface/Distance - Dirt/1m

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is set to launch a dual Godolphin challenge on the Ruffian Stakes with Wedding Toast and Via Strata due to run in the mile Grade Two on dirt at Belmont Park, USA, on Saturday, May 9.

Five-year-old Wedding Toast (Jose Lezcano) steps down in class after coming home fourth behind Princess Violet in the Grade One Madison Stakes over seven furlongs at Keeneland on April 4.

The daughter of Street Sense started her year with two starts at Gulfstream Park; finishing third in the mile Grade Three Rampart Stakes on February 23 and comfortably winning the non-graded Miami Shores Handicap over seven furlongs on January 7.

She made all to win the Grade Three Comely Stakes over nine furlongs at Aqueduct in 2013 and gained a pair of successes at Belmont in the same year, headed by a facile victory over an extended mile in the non-graded Belle Cherie Stakes.

Via Strata (Irad Ortiz Jr) is unbeaten in all three of her starts to date and the Street Cry filly makes her first appearance in Pattern company following an easy eight-length success in a Keeneland allowance optional claimer over an extended mile on April 9.

The four-year-old posted a straightforward victory in another allowance optional claimer over a mile at Aqueduct on February 7 and scored at the same course on her debut with an impressive display in a six-furlong maiden in December.

Kiaran McLaughlin commented: "We are hoping to run both Wedding Toast and Via Strata in the Ruffian - they are both doing great.

"It's only a six-horse field, so we may well run both.

"I don't have an explanation for Wedding Toast's run in the Madison, when she wasn't up to par. I am not as confident in her as I used to be but I feel that she is working well and hope she can run well.

"She was drawn inside at Keeneland and didn't like it, so being drawn in the clear in stall six should help.

"Via Strata is very talented and there's not much pace in the race, so it looks like she will be on the lead.

"It's a big step up from her three previous starts but she has to run in this company now. She is doing very well and she is a filly that I like."

Wedding Toast and Via Strata line up against four fillies and mares - Madison Stakes scorer Princess Violet, Rampart Stakes winner House Rules, the 2014 Comely Stakes runner-up Shayjolie and Macha.