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.”

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Seventh Time In North America The Charm For Delaware In Course Record Performance

Michael Dubb, Nice Guys Stables and Michael Caruso's Delaware earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure with a visually impressive score in the Danger's Hour Stakes, while Horologist garnered a 90 Beyer for her Top Flight win on a lucrative Saturday card at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Newly minted North American stakes winner Delaware captured the Danger's Hour in a course record time of 1:33.67 over the Big A inner turf.

Trained by Chad Brown and piloted by Manny Franco, the bay 5-year-old son of Frankel displayed a devastating turn of foot with a five-wide move in upper stretch to power past pacesetter Rinaldi for a three-quarter-length score.

“I don't have any plans for his next race, but we were really pleased with the effort, especially with how much ground he made up in the stretch,” said Brown. “He looked fine this morning.”

Delaware was a Group 3 winner in France for trainer Andre Fabre before joining Brown's contingent in North America. He made his U.S. debut in the First Defence on June 7, where he finished eighth beaten five lengths. The Danger's Hour was a first North American victory for Delaware, who made his seventh start in the United States.

Bred by original owner Juddmonte Farms, Delaware was purchased by his current ownership group out of last year's Keeneland November Sale. He is out of the Oasis Dream mare Zatsfine, who is a sibling to Grade/Group 1 winners Proviso and Byword.

The Brown-trained Analyze It, who finished last of seven in the Danger's Hour, was reported to have bled.

The New Jersey-bred Horologist made her 2021 debut a winning one while providing Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado with their combined third stakes victory of the 11-day Big A spring meet.

Horologist is owned by There's A Chance Stable, Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Paradise Farms Corporation and David Staudacher.

“She was a little tired this morning, but she looked well,” said Mott assistant Leana Willaford.

Horologist, who was named New Jersey Horse of the Year last month, put together a successful 2020 campaign with graded stakes victories in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park and the Grade 2 Beldame Invitational at Belmont Park. She capped off her prosperous season in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland when ninth to Monomoy Girl.

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