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Clement Says Gufo Still A Maybe For Breeders’ Cup Turf

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo remains in training for the $4 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf, but trainer Christophe Clement said he has still not officially committed to the race.

The chestnut son of Declaration of War was third in last Saturday's Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., six weeks after earning an entry into the Turf when capturing the “Win And You're In” Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Clement said a breeze next weekend will likely determine Gufo's Breeders' Cup status.

“We are training him to go to the Breeders' Cup at the moment,” Clement said. “I will speak to [Otter Bend Stables owner] Mr. Cainelli in the coming week for the plan and we'll make a decision. He'll breeze next weekend and then we'll assess him after the work.”

Never out of the money in a baker's dozen lifetime starts, Gufo captured the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational last October and the Grand Couturier in July at Belmont. He was a respective second and third in his first two starts of the year in the Man o' War and Manhattan, both Grade 1 races at Belmont. He has banked earnings of nearly $1.2 million.

On Saturday morning, Clement breezed his graded stakes-placed pair Soldier Rising and City Man in company over the Belmont inner turf in :47.20.

Second in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational and Jockey Club Derby Invitational, the last two legs of the Turf Triple series, Soldier Rising will target the $400,000 Grade 2 Hill Prince next Saturday at Belmont Park.

City Man, a three-time New York-bred stakes winner, will make his next start in the $200,000 Mohawk as part of a lucrative Empire Showcase Day on October 30.

“They worked a touch quick, but they worked well,” Clement said. “They came back in good order and are in good shape so far. Solider Rising will go to the Hill Prince and City Man is on target for the Mohawk.”

Soldier Rising will see a significant cutback in distance in the nine-furlong Hill Prince after finishing second in the Jockey Club Derby at 1 ½ miles.

“With the way he worked today, I think he'll be okay,” Clement said.

Also on the work tab for Clement was Moyglare Stud Farm's four-time winner Beautiful Lover, who went an easy half-mile in :52.10. The 5-year-old Arch mare will target the $100,000 Zagora on October 31 at Belmont.

“She worked well. It was a slow, but by design. She finished up nicely,” Clement said.

A last-out fifth in the Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Waya on October 3, Beautiful Lover defeated eventual graded stakes-placed Miss Teheran in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming tilt on June 27 at Belmont. She secured a stakes win in capturing the Boiling Springs in 2019 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., and earned graded stakes black-type last season when second in the Grade 2 Hillsborough at Tampa Bay Downs in Tampa, Fla., and the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth.

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Clement Saddles City Man, Therapist In Friday’s Ashley T. Cole At Belmont

Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle City Man and Therapist – the one-two finishers last out in the West Point presented by Trustco Bank – in Friday's $125,000 Ashley T. Cole at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Clement has won the nine-furlong inner turf test for New York-bred 3-year-olds and up on two occasions, with Lubash scoring in 2012 and 2014.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles, and Patty Searles' City Man, a 4-year-old graded-stakes placed son of Mucho Macho Man, posted a game nose victory in the 1 1/16-mile West Point over the inner turf as part of New York Showcase Day on August 28 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

City Man, bred by Moonstar Farm, made the lead at the stretch call under returning rider Joel Rosario and outdueled Therapist for the narrow win.

City Man, who sprinted to victory in the 2019 Funny Cide at 6 1/2-furlongs on the Saratoga main track, also secured stakes success in the 1 1/16-mile Gio Ponti in November on the turf at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Clement said the West Point will set the versatile City Man up for a return to dirt in the $300,000 Empire Classic, a nine-furlong test for state-breds on October 30.

“He's a good horse. I'm going to run him here and then get him ready for the Empire Classic back on dirt,” Clement said. “He's always trained like a good horse.”

Oak Bluff Stables' Therapist, a 6-year-old graded-stakes placed son of Freud, boasts a record of 26-9-3-6 with purse earnings of $707,865.

Clement said he's concerned about Therapist's ability to handle the distance and the prospect of inclement weather on Friday.

“There a question mark on the mile and an eighth, especially on soft turf. He's more suited for a mile and a sixteenth, he's that kind of horse,” said Clement, who co-bred Therapist with Oak Bluff Stable. “He is doing very well at the moment. I thought he ran very well last time out. I'm a little concerned about the weather, but there's not much I can do about that.”

The popular chestnut has thrived on the Belmont turf with five wins from 12 starts, including stakes scores in each of the last four years in the 2017 Awad, 2018 NYSSS Spectacular Bid, 2019 Elusive Quality, and last year's First Defence.

“He's been a fun horse to have in the barn the past few years,” Clement said. “He's a lovely horse and I'm lucky to train him.”

City Man will exit post 2 under Rosario, while Therapist will emerge from the inside post under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Edward Messina and William Butler's Sanctuary City, a 4-year-old Temple City bay, rallied from last-of-7 to complete the trifecta in the West Point.

Trained by James Ferraro, Sanctuary City enjoyed a three-race win streak beginning with a half-length score in a state-bred turf allowance in November at Aqueduct and followed with a state-bred optional claiming score on the Big A turf in April sprinting six furlongs in his seasonal debut. He completed the set with a last-to-first rush to win an open one-mile optional-claiming event on the Belmont turf in May.

Sanctuary City entered the West Point from off-the-board finishes in the Grade 3 Poker [4th] in June at Belmont and the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple [8th] in July at the Spa.

Kendrick Carmouche has the call from the outermost post.

Rounding out the field are Graded On a Curve [post 3, Javier Castellano], who was fourth last out in the West Point for trainer Chad Brown; and maiden winner Lord Flintshire [post 4, Jose Ortiz] for conditioner Jorge Abreu.

Three Jokers and Tiergan are entered for the main-track only.

Slated as Race 3, the event pays tribute to the late Ashley T. Cole, who served as chairman of the New York State Racing Commission and played a critical role in the formation of the New York Racing Association.

Also featured in Race 8 on the nine-race card is the $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma at seven furlongs on the main track for state-bred juvenile fillies. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Gufo Gets 104 Beyer Speed Figure For Sword Dancer, Targets Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Next

Otter Bend Stables' Gufo continued his career-long stretch of ultra-consistent efforts when holding off Japan for a neck victory in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., improving his career ledger to 7-2-3 in 12 races.

Gufo, bred in Kentucky by John Little and Steve Cainelli, earned a personal-best 104 Beyer for his second career Grade 1 victory and first since the Belmont Derby Invitational in October. He cracked triple digits for the second time in three starts after garnering a 100 for his third-place finish in the Grade 1 Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day June 5.

Clement said Gufo will now target the $500,000 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/2 miles on October 9 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

“He came out of his race in very good shape and I was very proud of him. He looks very good this morning,” Clement said.

Clement added blinkers to Gufo before his start in the Grand Couturier going 1 1/2 miles on July 5 at Belmont. After winning that contest by one length, Clement kept the blinkers on, with the 4-year-old Declaration of War colt responding by rallying from last-of-7 under jockey Joel Rosario to make a strong three-wide move in the upper stretch before digging in.

“We put the blinkers on and it helped Joel get in a better position,” Clement said. “It put him more in contention to run a better race.”

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Darlene Bilinski's Senbei improved to 2-for-2 with a 2 3/4-length win in the Funny Cide during New York Showcase Day.

Bred in the Empire State by Dr. Jerry Bilinksi, Senbei went gate-to-wire to capture the 6 1/2-furlong main track sprint. Clement said he has not picked out a next spot yet for Senbei, who won his debut by 4 3/4 lengths on July 18 at Saratoga before going 2-for-2 at the prestigious summer meet.

“He came out of his race perfect. I was very impressed,” Clement said.

Senbei was a $280,000 purchase at the 2020 Keeneland Association January Horses of All Ages Sale.

Clement's 1-2 finishers in the West Point presented by Trustco Bank on New York Showcase Day both are set for fall spots at Belmont, Clement said, with City Man targeting the $125,000 Ashley T. Cole for state-breds 3-years-old and up going 1 1/8 miles on the turf on September 24.

City Man, owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles and Patty Searles and bred by Moonstar Farm, bested stablemate Therapist by a nose on Friday in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes.

Clement said he will likely run Oak Bluff Stables' Therapist, who earned his first stakes black type in five attempts dating to his win in the 2020 Artie Schiller in November at Aqueduct Racetrack, back at Belmont as well.

“He ran a really good race again. He's just a fun horse. He's still consistent and he still tries,” Clement said.

Therapist has registered Beyer numbers of 90 or greater in 10 consecutive starts dating to June 2020.

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Rockemperor Leads Chad Brown Triple Threat In Fort Marcy At Belmont

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle a trio of contenders making their seasonal debuts in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy, a nine-furlong inner turf test for older horses at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., sending out Rockemperor, Tribhuvan and Devamani.

The Fort Marcy is slated as Race 5 on Saturday's 11-race card, which also includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester in Race 3 and the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay in Race 10.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael E. Kisber and Bethlehem Stables' multiple Grade 1-placed Rockemperor will exit post 2 under Manny Franco in search of his first graded score.

The 5-year-old Holy Roman Emperor horse has hit the board in a trio of Grade 1 events, including a third in the 2019 Belmont Derby, a second in the Manhattan in July at Belmont and a third two starts back in the Turf Classic in September at Churchill Downs.

Rockemperor wintered at Payson Park in Florida before shipping to New York, where he breezed a half-mile in 50.03 seconds on the Belmont dirt training track on April 24.

“He breezed here once and looked great,” said Brown's New York-based assistant Dan Stupp. “Just by watching him gallop around, it appears that he's awfully full of himself. He's been galloping very forwardly and it looks like he's doing very well.”

Sanford J. Goldfarb and Samuel Abraham's Devamani, a 7-year-old French-bred son of Dubawi, captured the Grade 2 Knickerbocker in October over yielding Belmont turf to close out his 2020 campaign, earning a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

With a record of 25-5-8-5 and purse earnings of $401,239, the experienced Devamani posted a career-best 102 Beyer when second to Instilled Regard in last year's Fort Marcy.

Tribhuvan, a 5-year-old French-bred son of Toronado owned by Dubb, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables, captured the Prix du Bras d'Or at Compiegne and the Prix de la Chambre de Monsieur at Chantilly in 2019 for his former conditioner Henri-Alex Pantall.

The bay made a trio of starts last year for Brown, including a nose score in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claiming event on the Belmont turf in July.

Devamani will exit post 1 under Jose Lezcano, while Tribhuvan, a first-time gelding, will emerge from post 3 with Eric Cancel up.

Augustin Stable homebred Wissahickon, a 6-year-old Tapit gelding, was a multiple stakes winner in England on turf and synthetic for his former conditioner John Gosden.

In February 2019, Wissahickon stepped up to win the Group 3 Winter Derby at Lingfield on synthetic footing. Transferred to the care of Jonathan Thomas last year, Wissahickon closed from 22 lengths off the pace to finish fifth, defeated 3 3/4-lengths, in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming event in July on the Saratoga turf.

Joe Bravo will pilot Wissahickon from the outermost post 5.

New York-bred City Man, a multiple stakes winner owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Peter and Patty Searles, will leave post 4 in search of graded-stakes glory under Trevor McCarthy.

The 4-year-old Mucho Macho Man colt, bred by Moonstar Farm, captured the Gio Ponti by a nose traveling 1 1/16-miles on good Aqueduct turf in November for trainer Christophe Clement.

Last out, City Man broke through the gate in the Alex M. Robb in December at the Big A and was eased.

First post on Saturday is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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