Too Sexy Rallies To Win Floral Park At Belmont

The Elkstone Group's Too Sexy rallied strongly down the lane to make her stakes debut a winning one in Sunday's $150,000 Floral Park, a six-furlong inner turf sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the 4-year-old Quality Road bay entered from a similar closing effort in a six-furlong optional-claiming tilt on September 25 over a Belmont turf rated good.

Honey Cake, with Junior Alvarado up, took charge through splits of :22.57 and :46.22 over the firm going with 3-2 mutuel favorite Robin Sparkles, piloted by Jose Ortiz, tracking her early foot from second position.

The pacesetter led the field through the turn as a host of challengers, including the stalking duo of Introduced and Raven's Cry lined up outside bids with Gogo Shoes advancing up the rail.

But despite having only Secure Connection behind her as the field straightened for home, there would be no denying Too Sexy, who was tipped out wide into the lane and picked off her rivals one by one with a powerful turn-of-foot en route to a 3 1/4-length victory in a final time of 1:09.68.

Raven's Cry completed the exacta by one length over Introduced. Rounding out the order of finish were Secure Connection, Pacific Gale, Gogo Shoes, Honey Cake, and Robin Sparkles. Time Limit was scratched.

Too Sexy's victory came shortly before the Clement-trained duo of Mutamakina and La Dragontea ran one-two in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Clement said a patient approach works best with Too Sexy, who has won 4-of-7 starts this season, including a maiden score over good turf at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., in March and an allowance win at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in July.

“She has been an improving horse all along,” Clement said. “She seems to run better when you wait a little bit on her and twice she has won on ground with a little bit of give in it.”

Lezcano said he felt confident the speed would come back to him.

“I rode her like how Christophe told me, which was to break well, give her a chance to find her footing and make one run. Everything worked out,” Lezcano said.

Luis Saez, jockey aboard the runner-up, said Raven's Cry benefitted from the turnback in distance out of a fifth-place finish in the one-mile De La Rose in August at the Spa.

“She broke right there and was in a perfect spot. We just got beat by a good one,” Saez said. “I think cutting back made a difference, it was good for her.”

Bred in Kentucky by Burleson Farm and McKenzie Bloodstock, Too Sexy banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 12-4-4-1. She paid $7.90 for a $2 win wager.

Live racing returns Thursday at Belmont Park with a nine-race card. First post is 12:35 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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Slipstream Slips Through To Win Futurity, Earn BC Juvenile Turf Sprint Spot

Last early, Joel Rosario found room on the rail for Slipstream to slide past Run Curtis Run and win the Grade 3 Futurity Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. With this victory, Slipstream earns a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

Breaking from post four, Rosario settled Slipstream at the back of the field of eight in the race's opening strides, as longshots Ready to March and Run Curtis Run lead down the backstretch. Entering the final turn, Slipstream was still toward the back of the pack on the rail as Run Curtis Run took over the lead going into the stretch.

Over the firm Belmont turf, Run Curtis Run was a length to the good as Slipstream squeezed by Midnight Worker, finding just enough room to get to the outside of the leader. Once clear, the 2-year-old son of More Than Ready accelerated and pulled clear of Run Curtis Run in the race's final yards. Biz Biz Buzz was third and Midnight Worker fourth.

The final time for the six furlongs was 1:08.36. Find this race's chart here.

Slipstream paid $6.60, $3.90, and $3.30. Run Curtis Run paid $13.00 and $7.80. Biz Biz Buzz paid $4.80.

The G3 Futurity is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series. Winners of Challenge Series races receive a fees-paid, guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding event at the Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Bred in Kentucky by Burleson Farm and McKenzie Bloodstock, Slipstream is out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Cake Baby. Owned by Jump Sucker Stable and trained by Christophe Clement, the 2-year-old colt has two wins in four starts for career earnings of $147,600. He was consigned by Burleson Farms at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and purchased by Northshore Bloodstock for $170,000.

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