Abbondanza Racing and Omar Aldabbagh's Lady Edith led a Christophe Clement-trained exacta with a three-length score under Joel Rosario in the fifth running of the $150,000 Floral Park, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for fillies and mares, at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.
A 4-year-old daughter of Street Boss, Lady Edith scored the first victory for her conditioner since being transferred to his care this spring. The Floral Park marked her third stakes score, adding to wins in the Mamzelle last year at Churchill Downs and the Wishing Well over the synthetic in January at Turfway Park, both for former trainer Tom Drury Jr.
Away well from the inside post, Lady Edith settled in third behind stablemate Too Sexy and Can't Buy Love as those two fought for the lead for the first hundred yards. The Dylan Davis-piloted Too Sexy took a slim advantage with Can't Buy Love pressing to her outside through an opening quarter-mile in 23.17 seconds over the good footing.
Lady Edith continued to track in between the two pacesetters before being given her cue by Rosario in the turn, to which she responded with a wide move and brushed slightly with Can't Buy Love as she went up the middle with Too Sexy to her inside. With Can't Buy Love retreating, Lady Edith continued to gain on Too Sexy through a half-mile in :47.37 under light urging and passed her stablemate with ease near the eighth pole, driving home to score in a final time of 1:10.64.
Too Sexy stayed on to secure place honors by four lengths over Can't Buy Love with Spun Glass and Queen Sheba completing the order of finish. Igloo, Kept Waiting, and main-track only entrants Frank's Rockette, Short Summer Dress and Piece of my Heart were scratched.
Clement said both of his fillies relished stretching out to six furlongs after they each ran off-the-board last out in the 5 1/2-furlong Smart N Fancy in August at Saratoga Race Course.
“They both like six better than 5 1/2. It's a big difference,” said Clement. “Six is not the same kind of race where they jump off and go. That was a slow pace today and they finished well. They both seemed to respond to that better.”
Rosario said Lady Edith was keen to make the lead in the turn.
“It looked like they were slowing down a little bit in front. She was little bit difficult around the turn when I was just trying to hold her a little bit,” said Rosario. “It looked like she was the best in the race and she put me right there where I wanted to be. It was perfect.
“She had a nice cruising speed and kept moving forward,” Rosario added. “I just let her have her confidence and she was the best horse in the race. She looked like she was good with that.”
Clement praised Too Sexy's runner up effort and said that Davis rode her to his instructions.
“She ran very well – second best. I told him to break and be comfortable,” said Clement. “They went slow in :47 the first half and finished better. She ran well but the other filly was better today.”
Davis said he knew Too Sexy was running for place honors.
“I didn't think she would be on the lead, but she took me there and I was happy with it,” said Davis. “I got away with some easy fractions and Joel's filly was much the best coming at me towards the stretch and I knew I was running for second. I just tried to maintain my placing and she ran well.”
Lady Edith's victory was her first since the Wishing Well, coming on the heels of a summer campaign that saw her pick up a graded placing when third in the Grade 3 Caress in July at Saratoga. Her other outings for Clement were a close fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Intercontinental at Belmont and a good fifth in the Smart N Fancy. She was purchased for $370,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February Mixed Sale from the Hermitage Farm consignment.
“She's a nice filly, but she's been unlucky. She has plenty of talent,” said Clement. “A nice filly, plus Joel Rosario usually works.”
Clement added that both fillies will now target the $150,000 Autumn Days on November 27 at the Big A.
“Without a doubt, you have to train them both to that,” Clement said.
Bred in Kentucky by J. David Richardson and Sandra New, Lady Edith is out of the Yankee Gentleman mare Lady Grantham. She returned $2.90 for a $2 win wager as the 2-5 post-time favorite and earned $82,500 for the winning effort, boosting her total purse earnings to $333,482.
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