Christophe Clement | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gufo Up In Time For Belmont Derby Invitational Victory

Otter Bend Stables Gufo rallied from off the pace to win Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Belmont Derby Invitational at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The victory gave the Christophe Clement-trained 3-year-old son of Declaration of War a fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf as part of the Challenge Series Win and You're In races for the Nov. 6-7 world championships at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Gufo raced past No Word and Mo Ready in deep stretch under Junior Alvarado, winning by one length, then had to wait out a stewards inquiry for possible interference at the top of the stretch when drifting out in front of Moon Over Miami.

The 7-5 favorite in the field eight 3-year-olds, Gufo paid $4.90 to win after covering 1 1/4 miles on firm turf in 2:02.25.

No Word held second, with Mo Ready third and Ajourneytofreedom fourth.

Mo Ready worked his way to the front as the fielded rounded the clubhouse turn, getting the opening quarter mile in :24.48 with pressure from the outside by Moon Over Miami.

Those two raced 1-2 down the backstretch, with fractional times of :50.61 for the half mile and 1:15.56 for six furlongs, and were joined by No Word approaching the far turn. Gofu, meanwhile, was saving ground while in the second flight approaching the turn, swung off the rail and took aim at the leaders with two furlongs to go, the mile in 1:39.26.

Mo Ready proved stubborn on the lead, aided by soft fractions, and was finally overtaken by No Word. But Gufo had all the momentum and grabbed the lead inside the final sixteenth of a mile.

“I had to do my homework,” said Alvarado, riding Gufo for the first time. “He's not a hard horse to ride, but it can be a little tricky with him to make sure he doesn't fall too far back or it takes him too long to get home. I kept him between horses; he was paying attention to everything and he was focused. When I turned for home, I knew I had a lot of horse under me.

“I definitely thought it was close. The way he was travelling there, I knew I had plenty of horse to still finish. He was in a nice, nice rhythm the whole way around so I was pretty happy. [Christophe] said, 'You have to ride him turning for home, it takes him a little bit to give you a nice kick'.”

The victory was the fifth in seven starts for Gufo, who had a four-race win streak broken when second to Domestic Spending in the Saratoga Derby Invitational in his last start on Aug. 15.

“He won well,” said Clement. “I thought he had a great trip from Junior [Alvarado] and when he asked him to quicken, he really quickened well in the stretch. He's a good horse. If you look at all his races this year, he's been running well all year round. I know he got beat last time but he actually ran a winning race when you look back at it.”

Clement wouldn't commit to a start in the Breeders' Cup.

“I'm not sure,” the trainer said. “We'll have to check with the owner and see how he comes out of it. There's also the Hollywood Derby [G1 on Nov. 28 at Del Mar] going a mile and an eighth.”

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Gufo Flies Home to Belmont Derby Score

Gufo (Declaration of War), favored at 7-5 in Saturday’s GI Belmont Derby Invitational, a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland, came storming down the stretch to deliver a smart, one-length victory over No Word (Silent Name {Jpn)). Mo Ready (Uncle Mo) was third.

Gufo capped a four-race winning streak with come-from-behind scores in Gulfstream’s English Channel S. May 2 and Delaware’s GIII Kent S. July 4. He established a new course record in the latter.

He rallied from seventh to finish a very close second behind Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the $500,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational S. last time Aug. 15.

Gufo caboosed the Belmont Derby field of eight as they began their run into the clubhouse turn. He raced in a covered up fifth through a half mile in :50.61 and began to launch midway around the far turn. The chestnut punched through a tight spot splitting horses and slightly drifted out, forcing Eric Cancel aboard a tiring Moon Over Miami (Malibu Moon) to tap on the brakes in the stretch.

Gufo had all of the momentum from there, however, and came rumbling home to record a career high.

The result stood after a Stewards’ Inquiry looked into the stretch run regarding Gufo and Moon Over Miami.

“He won well,” winning trainer Christophe Clement said. “I thought he had a great trip from Junior [Alvarado] and when he asked him to quicken, he really quickened well in the stretch. He’s a good horse. If you look at all his races this year, he’s been running well all year round. I know he got beat last time, but he actually ran a winning race when you look back at it.”

On a potential start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Clement added, “I’m not sure. We’ll have to check with the owner and see how he comes out of it. There’s also the [GI] Hollywood Derby [Nov. 28 at Del Mar] going a mile and an eighth.”

Pedigree Notes:

Gufo is the sixth Grade/Group 1 winner for Declaration of War. He is the sire of 17 graded winners (30 blacktype) and was also responsible for GII Pilgrim S. hero Fire At Will on the undercard. Petionville is the broodmare sire of five graded (20 blacktype) stakes winners.

Gufo is a half-brother to popular three-time graded victor Hogy (Offlee Wild). Floy’s most recent produce is the unraced 2-year-old filly Sisi (Tourist). She was bred to Preservationist for 2021.

Floy, a homebred for Fairly Stable, was fourth in her lone career start for Jeffrey D Thornbury at Keeneland in 2007. She RNA’d for $1,500 in foal to Shaniko at the 2011 FTKFEB Sale.

Saturday, Belmont Park
BELMONT DERBY INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $250,000, Belmont, 10-3, 3yo, 1 1/4mT, 2:02.25, fm.
1–GUFO, 122, c, 3, by Declaration of War
1st Dam: Floy, by Petionville
2nd Dam: Risen Miss, by Peteski
3rd Dam: Eddie’s Star, by Risen Star
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Otter Bend Stables, LLC; B-John Little &
Stephen Cainelli (KY); T-Christophe Clement; J-Junior Alvarado.
$137,500. Lifetime Record: 7-5-1-1, $415,010. *1/2 to Hogy
(Offlee Wild), MGSW-USA & SP-Can, $1,339,782. Werk Nick
Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–No Word, 122, c, 3, Silent Name (Jpn)–Listen A. P., by A.P.
Indy. O/B-Wertheimer et Frere (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$50,000.
3–Mo Ready, 122, g, 3, Uncle Mo–Ready and Good, by More
Than Ready. O/B-Repole Stable Inc (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$30,000.
Margins: 1, 1 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 1.45, 3.15, 28.50.
Also Ran: Ajourneytofreedom, Pixelate, Moon Over Miami, South Bend, Venezuelan Hug. Scratched: Domestic Spending (GB). Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Saratoga Derby Top Three Meet Again in Open Belmont Derby

The first three across the wire in a blanket finish in the Saratoga Derby Invitational S. last month will reconvene along with some interesting new shooters in Saturday’s GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. at Big Sandy, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Narrowly victorious at the Spa was Klaravich Stables’ Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}), given slight morning-line favoritism here at 5-2. Bought for 300,000 guineas at Tattersalls October in 2018, the gelding graduated on debut at even-money Feb. 12 at Tampa and repeated with a fast finish in a mile allowance here June 7. Left with too much to do when third in the GII Hall of Fame S. July 18 at the Spa, he showed tactical speed for the first time in the Saratoga Derby and ground out a head victory.

Just missing was runner-up Gufo (Declaration of War). Graduating at second asking Dec. 29 at Gulfstream, the chestnut scored last-to-first victories in an optional claimer and the English Channel S. there Mar. 27 and May 2, respectively before making it three in a row with a half-length success in the GIII Kent S. July 4 at Delaware.

Wertheimer et Frere’s No Word (Silent Name {Jpn}) was a debut winner last summer at Saratoga and finished fifth as the favorite in the GIII Pilgrim S. in his juvenile finale. Third in a pair of tries this summer, the dark bay narrowly annexed a local optional claiming July 9 before running third at 18-1 in the Saratoga Derby.

Two last-out stakes winners add to the fray. Moon Over Miami (Malibu Moon), who was briefly on the GI Kentucky Derby trail earlier this year, scored a Churchill allowance victory on grass June 20 before running fourth at 14-1 in the Hall of Fame and drawing in off the also-eligible list to take the Gun Runner Dueling Grounds Derby Sept. 10 at Kentucky Downs. Godolphin’s Pixelate (City Zip), second or third in five straight stakes tries as a 3-year-old–including a runner-up finish to Gufo in the Kent–surged late to get up by a head in the GII Del Mar Derby Sept. 6.

Rounding out the major contenders is Venezuelan Hug (Constitution). Claimed from Orlyana Farm and Alexis Delgado when running third in a $40,000 maiden claimer Mar. 25 at Gulfstream, the gray dominated Florida-bred maiden special weight rivals next out Apr. 25 and repeated in a starter optional claimer May 30. Not quite ready for prime time when last of six in the GII Pennine Ridge S. here June 20, he bounced back with a sharp allowance success Aug. 9 at Saratoga and shows a pair of bullet half-mile works over Saratoga’s Oklahoma turf for Danny Gargan in this return to stakes company.

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Kentucky Downs Stakes Winner Plum Ali Returns In Sunday’s Miss Grillo

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables' Plum Ali brings a perfect 2-for-2 record into Sunday's Grade 2, $150,000 Miss Grillo, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juvenile fillies, at Belmont Park.

The Miss Grillo is one of three graded events on Sunday's lucrative 10-race program which also features the Grade 2, $150,000 Beldame at nine furlongs on Big Sandy for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upwards and the Grade 3, $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and upward.

Trained by Christophe Clement, Plum Ali graduated on July 23 with a two-length score in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on the Saratoga turf under Joel Rosario. The First Samurai chestnut then shipped to Kentucky Downs to capture the one-mile Mint Juvenile Fillies by 2 ¾-lengths on September 7 with Tyler Gaffalione up.

Plum Ali exited her stakes score to post a pair of half-mile breezes on the Belmont inner turf including a 49.22-second breeze on September 7 with Jose Ortiz up, who will have the call from post 8.

“She's doing great. Jose Ortiz will ride and he has breezed her twice,” said Clement. “She's a very nice filly and was impressive last time. We're excited about her. She seems to handle the mile and a sixteenth.”

Clement said the filly has demonstrated talent and consistency through her first two starts.

“As she continues to run against better horses, we may find a limit, but for the moment we're keeping the dream alive,” said Clement.

Bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm, Plum Ali is out of the Stroll mare Skipping and was purchased for $65,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Godolphin homebred Lovestruck, a regally bred Tapit gray out of the Mr. Prospector mare Love Style, is a half-sister to the late multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire and prominent sire Scat Daddy.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Lovestruck had an eventful debut in a 1 1/16-mile inner turf maiden on September 7 at Saratoga where she was steadied leaving the gate before finding a good inside tracking position in sixth under Junior Alvarado.

Lovestruck tipped out for a rugged stretch run that saw the filly in tight with Miss Grillo-rival Freedomofthepress, requiring Alvarado to angle out where she bumped firmly with another rival, Mrs. Frankel, before powering home to a one-length victory following an inquiry.

Lovestruck has breezed twice on the Oklahoma dirt training track following her debut score, including a half-mile effort in 49.25 on September 8. Alvarado retains the mount from the inside post.

Director's Cut, who made her first three starts for trainer Tim Hamm and co-owner WinStar Farm, was purchased privately by film producer Gary Barber, the co-founder of Spyglass Entertainment and now the CEO of Spyglass Media, and transferred to the care of Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse for her New York debut.

The Exaggerator bay, bred in Kentucky by WinStar, graduated at second asking when stretched out to one mile on the Gulfstream Park turf rated good on July 23 where she bested Sleek Lynx, who is trained by Casse and owned by Barber.

Director's Cut followed with a closing second in the Sharp Susan on August 29 at one mile on firm Gulfstream green in a race won by Spanish Loveaffair, who is also trained by Casse and co-owned by Barber.

“We had run against her and really liked her. We reached out to WinStar about buying her and now we have her,” said Casse. “I thought she had ran well. We really liked both of our fillies she ran against and she has a nice pedigree.”

The talented bay breezed a half-mile in 49.77 on September 27 on the Belmont inner turf and will be piloted in the Miss Grillo by Dylan Davis from post 5.

“We've had her for about a month now and she breezed well the other day at Belmont,” said Casse. “I think the mile and a sixteenth will help her.”

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, who will saddle Editor At Large and Freedomofthepress, has captured seven of the last eight runnings of the Miss Grillo and eight overall with past winners including Maram [2008], Watsdachances [2012], Testa Rossi [2013], Lady Eli [2014], New Money Honey [2016], Significant Form [2017], Newspaperofrecord [2018] and Selflessly [2019].

Peter Brant's Editor At Large, an Irish-bred Lope de Vega chestnut, earned a 70 Beyer Speed Figure when graduating at first asking in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on September 7 on the Saratoga turf. Manny Franco picks up the mount from post 9.

Klaravich Stables' Freedomofthepress, by Mshawish, was purchased for $170,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. She stayed on strong to finish second behind Lovestruck in her September 7 debut and will have the services of Belmont fall meet leading rider Jose Lezcano from post 6 as she looks to graduate in style.

Shortleaf Stable's Caldee, a More Than Ready bay, was fifth on debut when sprinting on the Saratoga main track on July 19. The Kentucky homebred followed with an impressive front-running score when stretched to 1 1/16-miles on the Saratoga turf on August 23 which garnered a field-best 78 Beyer.

Trained by Brad Cox, Caldee will exit post 4 under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who was aboard for both previous starts.

Rounding out the field is Mashnee Stable's New York homebred Mashnee Girl, winner of a restricted off-the-turf maiden sprint on September 3 at Saratoga for trainer Mark Hennig. The Air Force Blue bay will have the services of Eric Cancel from post 3.

Paul Pompa, Jr.'s Fifth Risk, trained by Todd Pletcher, is entered for the main-track only.

The Grade 2 Miss Grillo is slated as Race 7 on Sunday's 10-race program, which offers a first post of 12:50 p.m. Eastern. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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