Plum Ali Has Final Tightener For Saturday’s $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Michael Caruso's Plum Ali worked in company with Al Shira'aa Farms' Mutamakina on the inner turf Monday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

“It was a nice maintenance work. They both worked well and finished well,” said Clement. “One will go to the River Memories and the other will go to the Oaks. They were the best workers of my barn this morning.”

Plum Ali (by First Samurai), runner-up last out in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Wonder Again, is pointed to Saturday's $700,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, first leg of the Turf Triple series for sophomore fillies.

Mutamakina (Great Britain-bred by Nathaniel) will be part of a strong one-two punch for Clement along with R Unicorn Stable's Call Me Love, who worked a half-mile solo Monday on the inner turf, in preparation for Sunday's 12-furlong $150,000 River Memories on the Widener turf for older fillies and mares.

Call Me Love, a 5-year-old Sea The Stars chestnut, won a 1 1/16-mile optional-claiming event last out on May 23 on firm Belmont turf.

Call Me Love was winless in five starts against graded company last year, completing the exacta in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont and the 1 1/16-mile Ballston Spa at Saratoga.

Clement said he was pleased with the easy half-mile breeze.

“It was easy by design,” said Clement. “She's very fit. We let her stretch her legs a little bit.”

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Clement May Send Gufo In Sword Dancer

Trainer Christophe Clement said he has been delighted thus far with Otter Bend Stables' Gufo following two late-closing efforts against Grade 1 company to commence his 4-year-old season.

The consistent son of Declaration of War kept a never-off-the-board record intact when making up 17 lengths to finish a late-closing third to Domestic Spending in the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park, Elmont, N.Y. on June 5, registering a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure. He arrived at the 10-furlong engagement off a narrow runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Man o' War Stakes on May 8, where he made a five-wide move in the upper stretch with dead aim on pacesetter Channel Cat, coming up a nose shy of victory.

“He was a bit erratic in the Manhattan. We've got to work on that,” Clement said. “I may put blinkers on him, I'm not sure yet. We'll come back somewhere going a mile and a half or mile and three-eighths and get him going longer.”

Clement mentioned the $500,000 Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer on August 28 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. as a likely target and said Gufo could run once before said start.

During his 3-year-old season, Gufo won the English Channel Stakes at Gulfstream Park and Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park before coming up a head shy of victory to Domestic Spending in the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes. He successfully sought redemption next out in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes.

Clement has twice won the Sword Dancer Invitational, with Winchester [2011] and Honor Glide [1999].

Also pursuing Grade 1 turf action from the Clement stable is Plum Ali, who displayed a strong turf of foot with a close second when chasing a leisurely pace in the Grade 3 Wonder Again Stakes at Belmont Park on June 3. Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Michael Caruso, Plum Ali will target the 10-furlong $700,000 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 10, the first leg of the Turf Triple series for fillies.

“She should get the distance,” Clement said. “She came out of the Wonder Again in good shape. We'll work her next week.”

Plum Ali, a daughter of First Samurai, began her racing career with wins in her first three starts, including the Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes on October 4. In two starts as a 3-year-old, Plum Ali gathered more graded stakes black type when third in the Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes before the last-out Wonder Again.

Clement has won the Belmont Oaks twice when raced as the Garden City Handicap with Miss World [2009] and Voodoo Dancer [2001].

R Unicorn Stable's Call Me Love earned her first North American triumph in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming event over the inner turf on May 23.

The daughter of Sea the Stars earned black-type twice last season with second-place finishes in the Grade 3 Beaugay Stakes at Belmont Park and the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga.

Call Me Love registered her second work since her last out triumph when breezing a half-mile in 49.45 seconds over the inner turf on Sunday morning.

Clement mentioned the $100,000 Perfect Sting on July 3 at Belmont, going one mile for fillies and mares, as an option for Call Me Love.

“Call Me Love worked well today,” Clement said. “There's one stake this meet for fillies on the grass and it's a mile which is a little on the short side for her, but we're going to have a look at it. I think she wants to go further.”

Clement said he would send stakes winners Bye Bye and Bubbles On Ice to the one-mile $100,000 Wild Applause Stakes on June 26.

Owned by Bach Stables, Bye Bye is a winner of both her efforts on grass, most recently in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly Stales on May 15. Bubbles On Ice, owned by Glen Hill Farm, Madaket Stables, and Cheyenne Stables, was fifth in the Hilltop Stakes on May 15 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, M.D. last out after capturing her North American debut in the Memories of Silver Stakes on April 18 at Aqueduct.

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Pletcher, Clement Each Have Formidable Pair In Wonder Again Stakes

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle a formidable pair of contenders in Jouster and Con Lima in Thursday's Grade 3, $200,000 Wonder Again, a nine-furlong inner turf test for sophomore fillies on Opening Day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The festival runs from Thursday through Saturday, June 5, culminating with the 153rd running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. The festival will encompass 17 total stakes, including eight Grade 1s on Belmont Stakes Day, capped by the “Test of the Champion” for 3-year-olds in the 1 1/2-mile final leg of the Triple Crown.

Thursday's nine-race card, which offers a 3:05 p.m. Eastern first post, features a trio of stakes offerings, including the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental, a seven-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares; and the $150,000 Astoria, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies on Big Sandy. The Wonder Again will go as Race 8 at 6:45 p.m. Eastern.

While both Pletcher-trained fillies are good from gate, the veteran conditioner said he expects Jouster to be more forwardly placed.

“I think Jouster is naturally quicker and Con Lima has shown that she can sit just off the pace,” Pletcher said.

Starlight Racing's Jouster, a Noble Mission bay, will make her first appearance since a 1 1/2-length gate-to-wire score over Wonder Again rivals Gift List and Plum Ali in the one-mile Grade 2 Appalachian on April 3 over a Keeneland turf course rated good.

A $360,000 purchase at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, Jouster is out of the Street Cry mare Playtime, who is a daughter of champion 2-year-old filly Storm Flag Flying and granddaughter of multiple Grade I-winner My Flag from the family of Champion Older Mare Personal Ensign.

Jouster has won three of her last four starts with the lone loss coming by a nose to Domain Expertise in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Florida Oaks on March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.

“She's a naturally fast filly and it seems like she's starting to settle a bit,” said Pletcher. “It's sort of a pivotal race for us in terms of which direction we go with her. If she can handle a mile and an eighth, we may look at some of those races that are a little longer. If not, we'll cut back in distance. We're eager to find out how she does.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Del Toro, Eric Nikolaus and Troy Johnson's graded-stakes winner Con Lima, a Texas-bred daughter of Commissioner, boasts a record of five wins and four seconds from 10 starts.

Con Lima, who has made her last seven starts at Gulfstream Park, made the grade via the disqualification of Spanish Loveaffair in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride, a 1 1/16-mile turf test on February 27. She followed that effort with a fourth in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks over dirt on March 27 ahead of a dominant four-length score last out in the 1 1/16-mile Honey Ryder over good turf.

Pletcher said the versatile filly is coming into the race in fine fettle.

“She trains and runs consistently well,” said Pletcher. “She's better on the turf, but handles dirt OK, also. We'll see how she handles the mile and an eighth and how it all plays out for her.”

Luis Saez will pilot Jouster from post 5, while Flavien Prat has the call aboard Con Lima from post 2.

Trainer Christophe Clement will also saddle a strong pair in Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables' Plum Ali and Brereton C. Jones' homebred Creative Cairo.

Plum Ali, by First Samurai, won her first three career starts, culminating in a 2 1/4-length score in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Miss Grillo in October at Belmont. She completed her campaign with a closing fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Keeneland.

Plum Ali made her seasonal debut with a close third in the Appalachian, just two lengths in arrears of Jouster.

“I think she is a top-class filly. At Keeneland, she was a bit unlucky because of the pace scenario,” said Clement. “I have a small question mark if she will stay a mile and an eighth or mile and a quarter. But we're giving it a try and we'll find out. Her race at Keeneland was actually a very good race. She finished third in a good race. The pace was against her, but she finished well. She's trained well since.”

Creative Cairo, by Cairo Prince, prevailed by a nose in a nine-furlong turf route at second asking on April 10 at the Big A. The Kentucky homebred steps into stakes company for the first time from a nearly two-month layoff.

“She has improved in her morning works since she broke her maiden at Aqueduct,” said Clement. “It's just worth it to give her a shot in a stake because she has improved in the way she trains.”

Plum Ali will exit post 10 under Joel Rosario, while Manny Franco will guide Creative Cairo from post 8.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gianni Fittipaldi's Mia Martina, trained by Graham Motion, enters off short rest from a closing fourth in the Hilltop, a one-mile event won by Alda on May 14 over firm turf at Pimlico Race Course.

The Not This Time bay, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, rallied from 16 lengths off the pace to finish just 2 1/4-lengths behind the winner.

“She didn't have a great trip in the Hilltop. It was nobody's fault; just one of those things,” said Motion. “I didn't feel like she had a hard race, so for that reason, I don't mind running her back in three weeks. Plus, I think she'll appreciate the mile and an eighth.”

A winner at first asking on the Gulfstream Park West turf for former trainer Juan Avila, Mia Martina won first out for Motion in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claimer on the Gulfstream turf in January. She closed late to be fourth in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks before a difficult dirt debut in which she was eased.

“The Gazelle was a white wash. I just put a line through it,” said Motion.

Mia Martina will look to get back on track from the inside post under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown will have a pair of contenders in Fluffy Socks and Technical Analysis as he looks to win his fourth Wonder Again following scores by Lady Eli [2015], New Money Honey [2017], and Cambier Parc [2019].

Head of Plains Partners' Fluffy Socks, a Kentucky homebred daughter of Slumber, made the grade in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante traveling one-mile over firm Del Mar turf in November to close out her juvenile campaign.

“She's doing really well. After she won late last year at Del Mar, we tucked her away for a little bit and just planned on focusing on this turf series for 3-year-old fillies,” said Brown. “She doesn't seem to have any distance limitations—longer the better—and a real, true mile and a quarter filly. When you look at the top and bottom of her pedigree, it fits, and she's coming in really well.”

The talented bay won the Selima over yielding Pimlico turf in October ahead of a nose loss to Ingrassia when second in the Chelsey Flower in November over a soft Belmont turf.

Fluffy Socks enters from a closing second in the 1 1/16-mile Memories of Silver over firm Aqueduct turf on April 18.

“She got into a lot of trouble in her last race and, as you can see last year when we were developing her, she's a little better when you get a race under her belt,” said Brown. “She's trained that way, too. Now that she's got a race, she's sharpened up a bit in her training, too.

“She might be closer to the pace as we stretch her out,” he added. “But you would hope there's some pace in the race for her to make one run.”

Klaravich Stables' Technical Analysis, a bay daughter of Kingman bred in Ireland by Rabbah Bloodstock Limited, graduated at second asking over good Aqueduct turf in November to complete her 2-year-old season.

Technical Analysis enters from a 2 3/4-length score in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claiming event on firm Belmont turf on April 29.

Brown said he has high hopes for progeny of the talented Kingman, who in 2014 won the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas, St. James's Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes and Prix Jacques le Marois en route to being named Cartier Horse of the Year in Europe.

“She's very talented. Fortunately, we were onto Kingman early as a young stallion,” said Brown. “He was a remarkable racehorse who was unfortunately maybe a little bit overshadowed by Frankel, running around the same time for Juddmonte, but he only lost one time and appeared to really like firm ground. It doesn't always work out, but we've been a big supporter of Kingman from the very first crop. Now that ship has sailed and he's harder to buy, but we've been fortunate to buy the ones we have and nearly all of them have turned out to be runners.”

Brown said he is hopeful Jose Ortiz will be able to engineer a measured, one-run trip for the Irish-bred filly out of the Sea The Stars mare Sealife.

“I keep looking at that [damsire] Sea the Stars and thinking, even though she's been keen in her races, she's a beautiful, big, scopey horse and if we can keep working with her and Jose to get her to settle a little bit, she'll have no problem with the distance,” said Brown.

Ortiz, Jr. will guide Fluffy Socks from post 7, while Technical Analysis will emerge from post 9 under Ortiz.

Amerman Racing's Gift List, trained by Brian Lynch, was a 4 1/4-length winner of the Grade 2 Edgewood last out on April 30 over a Churchill Downs turf rated good. The Bated Breath chestnut launched her career in England with trainer Karl Richard Burke, winning a pair of starts before joining Lynch for her sophomore season.

Gift List completed the exacta behind Jouster in the Appalachian in her North American debut ahead of her Edgewood coup.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will be aboard Gift List from post 6.

Completing the field are I Get It [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche], and Alwayz Late [post 4, Jose Lezcano].

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Plum Ali Makes Seasonal Bow in Appalachian

Plum Ali (First Samurai) makes the first start of her sophomore career Saturday in the GII Appalachian S. at Keeneland. A debut winner going two turns at Saratoga July 23, the chestnut rallied to another decisive victory in the Mint Juvenile Fillies S. at Kentucky Downs Sept. 7 and captured the GII Miss Grillo S. at Belmont Oct. 4. She was last seen making up good ground to be fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. Nov. 6.

Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) looks to rebound after being disqualified from her victory in Gulfstream's GIII Herecomesthebride S. last out Feb. 27. Opening her account with a pair of wins in Hallandale, including the Sharp Susan S. last summer, the bay checked in second to 'TDN Rising Star' Aunt Peal (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in this venue's GII Jessamine S. Oct. 7 and was sixth to that rival in the Breeders' Cup. She crossed the line 2 3/4 lengths clear in the Herecomesthebride, but was disqualified for interference and placed fourth.

'TDN Rising Star' Jouster (Noble Mission {GB}) seeks her black-type badge in this test. Earning her diploma by 8 3/4 lengths at third asking when switched to the turf at Gulfstream Jan. 10, the bay followed suit with an optional claimer win there Feb. 7 and missed by a nose in the GIII Florida Oaks at Tampa Mar. 6.

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