Tag: Christophe Clement

More Than Ready Filly Romps to Rising Star Debut at Belmont

West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig's Ready A.P. (More Than Ready) stormed to a dazzling 8 1/4-length debut win at Belmont Park Thursday to become the latest 'TDN Rising Star.' The dark bay filly, sent off the 3-5 favorite, was away slowly and trailed the field in the early going. She rushed up into contention entering the far turn and inhaled the leader nearing the stretch before striding home powerfully without ever being asked. One Track Mine (Mineshaft) was second.

Ready A.P. was a $125,000 purchase at last year's Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase. Her second dam is multiple graded stakes winner Carmandia (Wild Rush). She has a yearling half-sister by Kantharos and a foal half-brother by Sharp Azteca.

5th-Belmont, $75,000, (S), Msw, 7-1, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:06.88, ft, 8 1/4 lengths.
READY A. P., f, 2, by More Than Ready
                1st Dam: Girlaboutown, by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Carmandia, by Wild Rush
                3rd Dam: Her Secret, by Mining
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $41,250. O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig LLC; B-Chester Broman & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-Christophe Clement. *$125,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or free Equineline catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Sport Model Finishes Strong In Cupecoy’s Joy Win

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Sport Model handled a class boost with aplomb, taking command at the top of the stretch and drawing off to a half-length victory in Saturday's $150,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Cupecoy's Joy division over the Widener turf course at Belmont Park in Elmont, Ny.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the daughter of Freud arrived at the seven-furlong test for eligible New York-sired sophomore fillies off a third-out maiden victory for a $40,000 tag going six furlongs over the Widener on May 7.

Expertly piloted by Luis Saez, Sport Model tracked to the outside, just behind last-out stakes winner Shaker Shack, who produced fractions of :23.22 and :46.15 over the firm turf.

Saez gave Sport Model her cue late in the turn and overtook Shaker Shack just inside the quarter-pole. Funwhileitlasted launched a menacing bid in the final furlong, but Sport Model prevailed in a final time of 1:21.16. It was another 1½ lengths back to Shaker Shack, who held on for third.

Completing the order of finish were Shesadirtydancer, Big Time Lady, Show Me the Honey, Lot of Honey, Adriatic Rose, Ava's Grace, and Proper Grammar.

“She's progressing. She was very good today,” said Saez, who also rode Lady Joan to victory in the 2017 Cupecoy's Joy. “I needed the pony going out because she's so strong. I knew I had a lot of horse, and, when we got to the top of the stretch, she just took off. She was battling. When she felt the pressure coming, she gave me another gear.”

Clement, who also saddled last-place finisher Proper Grammar, praised Saez for a picture-perfect ride.

“I liked both fillies going in, but obviously one was very disappointing and the other ran very well,” said Clement, who earned his third stakes triumph of the Belmont spring/summer meet. “Luis gave her a great ride. He was always very comfortable, and she was the best horse today, which is nice.”

Clement said the $150,000 NYSSS Statue of Liberty, a one-mile turf test for sophomore fillies on August 4 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, Ny. will likely be Sport Model's next task.

Sport Model, who returned $14.60 for a $2 win wager, was bred in the Empire State by Mr. and Mrs. James P. Curran and Dr. and Mrs. John McDermott. She is out of the black-type producing Rockport Harbor mare Just Say Hey and is a half-sibling to stakes-winner Twirling Devon. Sport Model was purchased for $100,000 from Thorndale Farm's consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Yearling Sale.

Live racing resumes on Sunday at Belmont with a 10-race program headlined by the Grade 3, $250,000 Poker going one mile over the Widener turf course for older horses. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

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Clement May Send Gufo In Sword Dancer

Trainer Christophe Clement said he has been delighted thus far with Otter Bend Stables' Gufo following two late-closing efforts against Grade 1 company to commence his 4-year-old season.

The consistent son of Declaration of War kept a never-off-the-board record intact when making up 17 lengths to finish a late-closing third to Domestic Spending in the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park, Elmont, N.Y. on June 5, registering a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure. He arrived at the 10-furlong engagement off a narrow runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Man o' War Stakes on May 8, where he made a five-wide move in the upper stretch with dead aim on pacesetter Channel Cat, coming up a nose shy of victory.

“He was a bit erratic in the Manhattan. We've got to work on that,” Clement said. “I may put blinkers on him, I'm not sure yet. We'll come back somewhere going a mile and a half or mile and three-eighths and get him going longer.”

Clement mentioned the $500,000 Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer on August 28 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. as a likely target and said Gufo could run once before said start.

During his 3-year-old season, Gufo won the English Channel Stakes at Gulfstream Park and Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park before coming up a head shy of victory to Domestic Spending in the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes. He successfully sought redemption next out in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes.

Clement has twice won the Sword Dancer Invitational, with Winchester [2011] and Honor Glide [1999].

Also pursuing Grade 1 turf action from the Clement stable is Plum Ali, who displayed a strong turf of foot with a close second when chasing a leisurely pace in the Grade 3 Wonder Again Stakes at Belmont Park on June 3. Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Michael Caruso, Plum Ali will target the 10-furlong $700,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 10, the first leg of the Turf Triple series for fillies.

“She should get the distance,” Clement said. “She came out of the Wonder Again in good shape. We'll work her next week.”

Plum Ali, a daughter of First Samurai, began her racing career with wins in her first three starts, including the Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes on October 4. In two starts as a 3-year-old, Plum Ali gathered more graded stakes black type when third in the Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes before the last-out Wonder Again.

Clement has won the Belmont Oaks twice when raced as the Garden City Handicap with Miss World [2009] and Voodoo Dancer [2001].

R Unicorn Stable's Call Me Love earned her first North American triumph in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming event over the inner turf on May 23.

The daughter of Sea the Stars earned black-type twice last season with second-place finishes in the Grade 3 Beaugay Stakes at Belmont Park and the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga.

Call Me Love registered her second work since her last out triumph when breezing a half-mile in 49.45 seconds over the inner turf on Sunday morning.

Clement mentioned the $100,000 Perfect Sting on July 3 at Belmont, going one mile for fillies and mares, as an option for Call Me Love.

“Call Me Love worked well today,” Clement said. “There's one stake this meet for fillies on the grass and it's a mile which is a little on the short side for her, but we're going to have a look at it. I think she wants to go further.”

Clement said he would send stakes winners Bye Bye and Bubbles On Ice to the one-mile $100,000 Wild Applause Stakes on June 26.

Owned by Bach Stables, Bye Bye is a winner of both her efforts on grass, most recently in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly Stales on May 15. Bubbles On Ice, owned by Glen Hill Farm, Madaket Stables, and Cheyenne Stables, was fifth in the Hilltop Stakes on May 15 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, M.D. last out after capturing her North American debut in the Memories of Silver Stakes on April 18 at Aqueduct.

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Clement Has Gufo Training Forwardly For Manhattan

Gufo training forwardly for G1 Manhattan

 

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo registered his first work since running second in his 2021 bow in the Grade 1 Man o' War on May 8 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., with the Declaration of War colt posting a half-mile breeze in 50.85 on Saturday over the Belmont inner turf course.

Trainer Christophe Clement said he was encouraged by the work and will keep Gufo on target for the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Manhattan contested at 1 1/4 miles on the turf on Belmont Stakes Day June 5.

“Gufo is doing well and had a good work yesterday,” Clement said. “It was the first maintenance breeze back, and we'll work him next weekend and then go for the Manhattan.”

Gufo won three stakes during his 3-year-old campaign in 2020, starting with the English Channel in May at Gulfstream Park before winning his first graded stakes contest in the Grade 3 Kent on Independence Day at Delaware Park.

After a close second in the Saratoga Derby Invitational, where he finished just a head back to Domestic Spending, Gufo posted a one-length win in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby in October going 1 ¼ miles over a firm turf.

In November, Gufo challenged Domestic Spending again and finished third, just a neck behind his nemesis' winning effort in a blanket finish in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby over firm going at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar.

After more than five months off, Gufo returned to action in the 1 3/8-mile Man o' War over a Belmont turf course rated good, finishing second by a nose to Channel Cat in a thrilling finish that netted the Kentucky Bred a career-best 97 Beyer.

The Manhattan, one of eight Grade 1s on Belmont Stakes Day, has been won by Clement on three occasions, starting with Forbidden Apple in 2001 and including back-to-back victories by Gio Ponti in 2009 and Winchester in 2010.

Decorated Invader didn't provide the finish Clement was looking for when fifth in Saturday's $100,000 Seek Again. But the fellow Declaration of War colt still earned a 90 Beyer for the effort, which was the second start of his 4-year-old year after running third in the one-mile Danger's Hour on April 10 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman, William Sandbrook and Cheryl Manning, Decorated Invader is 5-2-1 in 12 career starts. The $200,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September Sale won the Grade 2 Hall of Fame and the Grade 2 Hill Prince last year.

“It was a disappointing performance yesterday but he came back in pretty good shape,” Clement said. “We'll just have to regroup and go from there.”

Plum Ali, who started her sophomore year with a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Appalachian on April 3 at Keeneland, breezed Sunday in preparation for her next start. Clement said she is on target for the Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles on the turf on Opening Day of the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival on Thursday, June 3.

Plum Ali went a half-mile in 48.25 on the Belmont inner turf as she seeks to earn another stakes win after achieving that status twice as a juvenile. The daughter of First Samurai started her career 3-for-3, following a debut score in July with a victory in the Mint Juvenile Fillies in September at Kentucky Downs before winning the Grade 2 Miss Grillo in October at Belmont.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, Plum Ali's lone off-the-board finish in five career starts was her fifth-place effort in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

“She worked for the Wonder Again and did well, so we're really happy with that,” Clement said.

Clement could be well-represented in the annual New York Breeders' Showcase Day, featuring six stakes races for New York-breds on Memorial Day Monday, May 31. The veteran conditioner could have seven contenders in a day designed to show off some of the best talent bred in the Empire State, with Sea Foam targeting the $200,000 Commentator and Timeless Journeyfor the $200,000 Critical Eye.

Waterville Lake Stable's Sea Foam will be making his 6-year-old bow off a nearly six-month layoff, last in action when fourth in the Alex M. Robb in December at the Big A. The Commentator is a handicap for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile on Big Sandy.

Merrylegs Farm homebred Timeless Journey ran fourth in her first start as a 4-year-old, being outkicked in the stretch during a one-mile turf route against optional claimers in May at Belmont after winning her 2020 finale on the Aqueduct main track in December. Clement will have her again try the main track in the Critical Eye, which is also contested at a one-turn mile.

Oak Bluff Stables' Therapist, a winner of eight stakes, is on course for the $125,000 Kingston for 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Therapist, who has won stakes in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, will look to extend his streak to five straight years, with the now 6-year-old gelded son of Freud making just his second appearance of 2021. City Man is also a possibility for the Kingston.

Other New York Showcase Day contenders for Clement include Brattle House and Pay Grade for the $125,000 Bouwerie for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs; and Classic Lady for the $125,000 Mount Vernon for older fillies and mares going one mile on the Widener turf course.

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