Christophe Clement | Horse Racing Free Tips

After Disappointing 2021 Debut, Decorated Invader Could Target Shoemaker Mile

Trainer Christophe Clement said Grade 1-winner Decorated Invader could be a possibility for the $100,000 Seek Again on Saturday in a one-mile turf contest for 4-year-olds and up at Belmont Park after breezing five furlongs in 1:02.87 yesterday over Belmont's inner turf course.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, William Freeman, William Sandbrook and Cheryl Manning, Decorated Invader might skip the Seek Again and be shipped out to California, with Clement saying the Grade 1, $300,000 Shoemaker Mile on May 31 at Santa Anita is also under consideration.

“We can run him back either this weekend or go to California, we just have to think about it,” Clement said. “The race in California is also a mile, so we'll see.”

Decorated Invader, who won the Grade 1 Summer as a juvenile going one mile in September 2019 over Woodbine's turf course, twice won graded stakes in his sophomore campaign. Back-to-back wins in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge last June at Belmont, as well as in his next start in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga Race Course, helped give the Declaration of War colt four stakes wins in his career.

In his 2021 debut, Decorated Invader ran third off a nearly five-month layoff in the Danger's Hour on April 10 going one mile over the Aqueduct Racetrack turf.

Clement said he expected more from that effort but is looking forward to the upcoming start, regardless of which coast he chooses for the Kentucky bred.

“I was actually very disappointed; he had trained OK, but I was unhappy with the race, unhappy with the trip and unhappy with everything, but that's OK, we just turned the page and moved on,” Clement said.

Creative Cairo, who also covered five furlongs in 1:02.87 Saturday on the inner turf, broke her maiden last out in her second start, edging Miss Bonnie T by a nose in a 1 1/8-mile turf route on April 10 at the Big A. The 3-year-old Cairo Prince filly, who garnered a 74 Beyer for the win, is now on target for the Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again on the opening day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival on Thursday, June 3.

Owned and bred by Brereton C. Jones, Creative Cairo made her debut in March, running fourth in a one-mile turf contest at Gulfstream Park.

“She worked yesterday morning very well and now we'll get ready for the Wonder Again,” Clement said. “We're very happy with her, so we'll just have to keep going.”

Clement said Plum Ali, owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, is also on target for the Wonder Again.

Plum Ali, who won the Mint Juvenile Fillies in September at Kentucky Downs and won her only previous Belmont start with a victory in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo in October at Belmont, capped her 2-year-old year with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Keeneland.

Plum Ali returned to run third in her 2021 bow in the Grade 2 Appalachian on April 3 at Keeneland. Plum Ali breezed a half-mile in 50.55 seconds on Sunday over Belmont's inner turf course.

Bach Stables' Bye Bye handled the step up in class with aplomb Saturday, holding off Invincible Gal's late charge to win her stakes debut by a neck in the Grade 3, $100,000 Soaring Softly over firm going on Belmont's Widener turf course in her stakes debut.

Making just her third start overall – and just second on turf – Bye Bye earned an 83 Beyer for the effort, improving her number in every start. Jockey Eric Cancel piloted Bye Bye to victory from the outermost post in the 11-horse field, with Clement saying a day later he was happy to see that effort.

Clement said he was still unsure of Bye Bye's next start, though the sophomore Into Mischief filly, unraced as a juvenile, has won her last two starts.

“I was very happy and for Bach Stables, they deserve it,” Clement said. “I was thrilled. She was good enough to win. She keeps improving. She was training well coming into the race. I don't know yet where we'll go next, but we'll just enjoy it and go from there.”

The post After Disappointing 2021 Debut, Decorated Invader Could Target Shoemaker Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Bye Bye Makes Stakes Debut A Winning One In Soaring Softly

A class boost and increased distance did not faze Bach Stables' Bye Bye, who won by a neck in the fifth running of Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Soaring Softly for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs over the Widener turf course at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Bye Bye came into her stakes debut off a sharp debut on grass, where she broke her maiden at second asking by 2 ¾ lengths going five furlongs at Gulfstream Park. The talented bay handled a test in company and distance with class for trainer Christophe Clement.

Exiting the outermost post in the 11-horse field, Bye Bye broke on top, but took back slightly in the compact field as 64-1 longshot Lexinator commanded a swift opening quarter in 22.61 seconds over the firm turf with Star Devine to her outside in second.

As the field entered the far turn, a keen Bye Bye moved into third to the outside of the two frontrunners through a half-mile in 45.62. As Lexinator dropped out of contention, first-out maiden winner Star Devine found herself on the lead as jockey Eric Cancel was on an all-out drive aboard Bye Bye with Candace O launching her bid in between horses. At the eighth pole, Bye Bye took command and held off a late rally from multiple stakes-placed Invincible Gal to win by a neck in a final time of 1:21.19.

It was another neck back to third-place finisher Candace O, who garnered more black type after finishing third in the Bourbonette Oaks last out over the synthetic surface at Turfway Park.

Completing the order of finish were Star Devine, Tobys Heart, Can't Buy Love, Hit the Woah, La Libertee, Sleek Lynx, Lexinator and No Ordinary Time.

Clement, who earned his second stakes win of the meet after saddling She's My Type to victory in the April 30 License Fee, expressed some concern with the outside post.

“I'm a firm believer in saving ground, but there's only so much we can do,” Clement said. “She was wide all the way, but she was good enough to overcome it. Eric did the best he could. We knew she was nice and now we know she is very nice. She went from five to seven-eighths very well. This was a very good performance. It's exciting.

“We might try to make her a miler but not too much further than that,” Clement added. “I'll need to think about it a little bit. Let's enjoy the moment and go on from there.”

Cancel said he was impressed with the winning effort from Bye Bye.

“This filly is talented. I wasn't expecting this type of performance for her first time going seven furlongs,” Cancel said. “She kept on trying and never gave up on me, so as long as she was there for me, I was going to still be there for her and it just worked out well. I think she'll just keep on improving. Christophe knows what he's doing with her, and I just hope everything keeps on going the right way.”

Bye Bye rewarded her backers in $2 win payouts of $19 and racked up $55,000 in victory, which over tripled her bankroll to $82,400. Her record now stands at 3-2-0-0.

Bred in Kentucky by Malibu Farm, Bye Bye is out of the Smart Strike mare Garnet, whose third dam was Grade 1-winner Dream Supreme. She comes from the same family as recent turf stakes-placed World Tour.

The Soaring Softly is named in honor of the inaugural winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in 1999. Owned by Phillips Racing Partnership and trained by Jimmy Toner, Soaring Softly was a three-time graded stakes winner at Belmont Park, with all triumphs against graded stakes company. The Kris S. mare captured the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay, Grade 2 New York and Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational, all in 1999, en route to a Breeders' Cup win and, subsequently, Champion Grass Mare honors.

Live racing continues Sunday with a nine-race card beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern. Sunday's Pick 6 will have a carryover of $36,011, starting in Race 4 at 2:32 p.m.

Starting on May 1, Belmont Park re-opened to a limited number of spectators. All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

For comprehensive information on health and safety protocols in effect for the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, please visit: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

The post Bye Bye Makes Stakes Debut A Winning One In Soaring Softly appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Another New Graded Winner for Into Mischief at Belmont

Bye Bye (Into Mischief) did it tough from her widest gate in a field of 11 for Saturday's GIII Soaring Softly S. at Belmont Park, but overcame a fair bit of ground loss to remain unbeaten in two turf starts while giving her all-conquering sire his second new graded winner on the afternoon.

Away alertly, the $140,000 Keeneland September yearling raced five or six off the inside as longshot Lexinator (Fed Biz) set the early pace from 'TDN Rising Star' Star Devine (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Eric Cancel allowed Bye Bye to improve while deep around the sweeping turn, forcing the hand of Jose Lezcano, who allowed Star Devine to stride into the lead perhaps a bit sooner than he may have liked fully three furlongs from the wire. Bye Bye confronted Star Devine in upper stretch, and although the latter boxed on gamely, Bye Bye had her number and scraped home best of all. Invincible Gal (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) ran on for second ahead of Candace O (Declaration of War) in third.

“I was concerned [about the outside],” said winning trainer Christophe Clement. “I'm a firm believer in saving ground, but there's only so much we can do. She was wide all the way, but she was good enough to overcome it. Eric [Cancel] did the best he could.”

As for what the future may hold, the Frenchman added: “We might try to make her a miler but not too much further than that. I'll need to think about it a little bit. Let's enjoy the moment and go on from there.”

Bye Bye debut in a six-furlong maiden over the Gulfstream main track Feb. 7, weakening to finish sixth after showing some early pace. The word was out when switching to a five-furlong turf test in Hallandale Mar. 21, as the bay validated 19-10 favoritism with a widening 2 3/4-length graduation.

Pedigree Notes:

Bye Bye is the 42nd winner at graded level for Into Mischief and brings the 16-year-old stallion to within three black-type winners of 100. Mighty Mischief took out the GIII Chick Lang S. at Pimlico earlier Saturday. She is simultaneously the 123rd SW and 49th group/graded winner out of a daughter of the late Smart Strike.

The May 14 foal is out of a daughter of Kinsman Farm SW Crystal Current, the dam of $875,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling and SP Savoy Stomp (Medaglia d'Oro) and SP Mi Vida (Distorted Humor), the dam of Gold Standard (Medaglia d'Oro), who cost $1.2 million at FTFFEB in 2018 and earned a pair of graded stakes placings.

Bye Bye's third dam, also raced by George Steinbrenner, was a two-time Grade I winner over seven furlongs and produced GISW Majestic Warrior (A.P. Indy), SW & GSP Evolutionist (El Prado {Ire}) and two other stakes performers.

Garnet, who was acquired by Spendthrift Farm for $550,000 in foal to Uncle Mo at Keeneland November in 2016, was not covered in 2018 and produced a filly by Bolt d'Oro last year before being bred to Into Mischief's son Goldencents for this season.

Saturday, Belmont
SOARING SOFTLY S.-GIII, $100,000, Belmont, 5-15, 3yo, f, 7fT, 1:21.19, fm.
1–BYE BYE, 118, f, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Garnet, by Smart Strike
                2nd Dam: Crystal Current, by A.P. Indy
                3rd Dam: Dream Supreme, by Seeking the Gold
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($140,000
Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Bach Stables LLC; B-Malibu Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Christophe Clement; J-Eric Cancel. $55,000. Lifetime Record:
3-2-0-0, $82,400. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Invincible Gal (GB), 118, f, 3, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Alsindi
(Ire), by Acclamation (GB). (200,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT).
O-Ryan, Michael J., Drown, Jeff and Team Hanley; B-Rabbah
Bloodstock Limited (GB); T-H. Graham Motion. $20,000.
3–Candace O, 118, f, 3, Declaration of War–That Voodoo
Youdo, by Speightstown. ($65,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP).
O-River Oak Farm, Medallion Racing and Olszewski, Michael
W.; B-Crosshaven Bloodstock (KY); T-H. Graham Motion.
$12,000.
Margins: NK, NK, HF. Odds: 8.50, 6.20, 10.00.
Also Ran: Star Devine (Ire), Tobys Heart, Can't Buy Love, Hit the Woah, La Libertee, Sleek Lynx (GB), Lexinator, No Ordinary Time.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Another New Graded Winner for Into Mischief at Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Feel Glorious Chasing Graded Status In Gallorette

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Tango Uniform Racing's Feel Glorious, a four-time stakes winner of nearly $500,000 in 21 career races, continues the chase for an elusive graded victory in Saturday's $150,000 Gallorette (G3) at Pimlico Race Course.

The 70th running of the 1 1/16-mile Gallorette for fillies and mares 3 and up on the grass is among 10 stakes, six graded, worth $2.25 million in purses on a spectacular 14-race program headlined by the 146th renewal of the Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

Other graded-stakes on the card are the $250,000 Dinner Party (G2) for 3-year-olds and up on the turf; $200,000 Chick Lang (G3) for 3-year-olds and $150,000 Maryland Sprint (G3) for 3-year-olds and up, both going six furlongs; and $100,000 UAE President Cup (G1) for Arabian horses.

First race post time is 10:30 a.m.

Feel Glorious is trained by New York-based Christophe Clement, who won the Gallorette with Tresoriere in 1998 and Ozone Bere in 2006. The 5-year-old Bated Breath mare has raced twice this year, closing to be third by a neck in the one-mile Honey Fox (G4) Feb. 27 at Gulfstream Park behind two-time Grade 1-winning multi-millionaire Got Stormy and Grade 3 winner Zofelle.

“She can beat both those horses. She's as good as they are and she can handle them,” co-owner Dean Reeves said. “We don't duck anybody.”

Second by 2 ½ lengths in the March 27 Sand Springs at Gulfstream, her most recent outing, Feel Glorious won twice in six 2020 starts, both in stakes at the Gallorette distance – the Forever Together in November at Aqueduct and Perfect Sting in August at Saratoga.

Feel Glorious also won two stakes in 2019, the Memories of Silver and Winter Memories respectively in the spring and fall at Aqueduct, once she arrived in the U.S. after beginning her career in England and Germany where she was second in the 2018 Grosser Preis Soldier Hollow Youngster Cup.

According to Equibase, Feel Glorious was purchased at Tattersall's horses of racing age sale for $174,638 in August 2018. She has been second in the 2019 Soaring Softly (G3) and Sands Point (G2) and third in the 2020 New York (G2) and Matchmaker (G3), with earnings of $492,209 for Reeves, best known as the owner of 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner that was retired in 2014 with a bankroll of more than $5.6 million.

“She's been all over it. She has run and competes with the best fillies and mares out there and she's been so consistent,” Reeves said. “She's got the best kick of any horse I believe I've ever been around. When she turns for home, she's so determined. She comes to play every time.

“She's just been a pleasure,” he added. “How she hasn't gotten a graded stake yet I don't know, but she's going to get one, maybe more. She's very, very game every time. I'm excited to see her race this weekend. I think it'll be a good spot for and we're looking forward to it.”

Alex G. Campbell Jr.'s 5-year-old homebred Mean Mary will be seeking her fourth career graded-stakes victory, stringing together three straight in the La Prevoyante (G3), Orchid (G3) and New York – the latter over Feel Glorious – in the winter and summer of 2020 in Florida and New York.

Second by a neck to Rushing Fall, 2020's champion turf mare, in the 1 1/8-mile Diana (G1) last August at Saratoga, Mean Mary hasn't raced since running seventh, beaten 2 ½ lengths, in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“We gave her the winter off after the Breeders' Cup. My original thought was to go to the New York Handicap [but] it's a tough trip to go a mile and a quarter off a break,” trainer Graham Motion said. “I thought this might make more sense for her. She certainly has enough turn of foot to run a mile and a sixteenth.”

Mean Mary has shown an ability to relax on the front end in longer races, such as the 1 ½-mile La Prevoyante, 1 3/8-mile Orchid and 1 ¼-mile New York, but found herself up close to a lively pace in the Breeders' Cup along with Irish-bred Cayenne Pepper before French import Audarya came on late to spring a 17-1 upset.

“She's hasn't done much wrong. I thought she had a tough trip in the Breeders' Cup. She ended up on the lead or close to it, and then she kind of got chased which just made it tough for her. A European horse, which I never imagined would kind of go with her early,” Motion said. “I thought that was a tough trip, we gave her some time off and she's done well coming back.”

Motion also entered Al Shaqab homebred Tuned, who has one win in seven starts since coming to the U.S. from France in the fall of 2019. Following her allowance victory at Keeneland, the 5-year-old mare has run second or third four times and has never been lost by more than 3 ¾ lengths in any of her domestic races. She ran second to French Group 3 winner Pocket Square April 7 in her most recent race.

“She's pretty consistent and hasn't been beaten very far in her races,” Motion said. “She was unlucky the other day at Keeneland. She ran against a really nice horse in the allowance race that day, but there has to be a stake somewhere with her name on it, I believe.”

Motion's previous Gallorette wins have come with Ultra Brat (2018) and Film Maker (2005).

Chad Brown, who trains Pocket Square, will send out the pair of Flighty Lady and Great Island. Peter Brant's Flighty Lady was bred in Ireland, raced in France and won a 1 1/16-mile Aqueduct allowance April 3 in her U.S. debut, while Alpha Delta Stables' Great Island is exiting a head victory in an off-the-turf edition of the 1 1/8-mile Suwannee River Feb. 6 at Gulfstream.

Brown won the Gallorette with Zagora (2012), Pianist (2013) and Watsdachances (2015).

Phipps Stable homebred Vigilantes Way is set to start for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, having run third in the 1 1/16-mile Dahlia April 24 at Pimlico. The 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro became a stakes winner last December in the 1 1/16-mile Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream.

The post Feel Glorious Chasing Graded Status In Gallorette appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post