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Belmont Park Notes 3.31.20

by Keith McCalmont

• Clement duo Decorated Invader and Gufo in line for Turf Triple
• G1 Belmont Stakes-winner Sir Winston at home in New York
• Max Player and Montauk Traffic continue to train amid waiting game

Christophe Clement secured his 2,000th win in North America when Otter Bend Stables' Gufo won a grassy optional-claiming event on Friday at Gulfstream Park, and the veteran conditioner didn't rest on his laurels winning with 3-of-7 starters on Saturday including a successful seasonal bow for Grade 1-winner Decorated Invader.

"They are the type of horses you want to point towards the Turf Triple," said Clement, a graduate of Duke University and the Darley Flying Start program, with regard to NYRA's Turf Triple Series. 

The Turf Triple for males begins with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational going 1 ¼ miles which is slated for July 11. The series continues with the Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16-miles and the 12-furlong Jockey Club Derby during the Belmont fall meet.

West Point Thoroughbreds, William T. Freeman, William Sandbrook, and Cheryl Manning's Grade 1-winner Decorated Invader rallied wide down the lane under Joel Rosario to capture the $100,000 Cutler Bay at Gulfstream Park.  The 1 ¼-length victory garnered an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

"It was very impressive and I believe he confirmed our belief that he's one of the best 3-year-olds in the country on the grass. He validated that with a very good performance," said Clement. "He overcame an outside post position and a wide trip to win on a speed-favoring course."

A $200,000 purchase at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Decorated Invader graduated impressively at second asking in August at Saratoga Race Course. The Declaration of War bay then traveled north to Woodbine where he won the Grade 1 Summer on a yielding turf ahead of a wide-trip to finish fourth with a strong late charge in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita Park in November.

Clement said he is confident that Decorated Invader can stretch out in distance going forward and noted the efforts of Tonalist, also trained by his father, who won the Grade 1 Cigar Mile in 2015 and the Grade 1 Belmont at 1 ½-miles in 2014.

"Good horses can overcome distance and many other factors. Look at Tonalist, he won Grade 1s from a mile to a mile and a half," said Clement. "Decorated Invader is already a Grade 1 winner and I think he was unlucky not to win the Breeders' Cup last year. I think he is in that league.

"He's very imposing physically and his mental aspect is second-to-none. He's very talented," added Clement. "He will have every chance but he has to prove it. He's working along the same path."

By Declaration of War and out of the Petionville mare Floy, the 3-year-old Gufo is a half-brother to multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Hogy. Gufo earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure for his half-length score.

"He's very good too in his own right," said Clement. "To be honest, he might be one of Decorated Invader's biggest dangers this three-year-old season."

The Clement stable won 13 races with 2-year-olds on the NYRA circuit in 2019, and Clement said both Decorated Invader and Gufo showed great potential on arrival last season.

"Back in May at Saratoga, we were working Gufo and Decorated Invader together and they had stamped themselves as the best 2-year-old colts in our crop," said Clement. "They were both very advanced and showed lots of talent from day one. They've been work partners the last few weeks and both came back and made their seasonal debut a winning one."

Clement said he initially planned on bringing Decorated Invader back in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge, a nine-furlong turf test for 3-year-olds slated for May 30 at Belmont Park.

"The Pennine Ridge was our plan, but we'll have to see what happens with the stakes schedule in New York," said Clement.

Traipsing started a successful Saturday for Clement with a smart score at 19-1 in Saturday's Gulfstream opener off the layoff. Following Decorated Invader's score, Clement saddled She's My Type (3rd) and Seducer (9th) in the Sanibel Island. Focus Group landed seventh in the Grade 2 Pan American in his first start for new connections.

Clement said the well-bred She's My Type, by Dunkerque out of the Kendor mare Theoricienne, was in position to win.

"She ran well, but we were a touch disappointed she didn't get the job done. At the three-eighths, I thought she was going to win," said Clement.

Stone Farm's Traipsing, a 4-year-old daughter of Stroll, earned an 82 Beyer for her rallying half-length score under Rosario in a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance. The talented filly was fourth in her August 2018 debut at Saratoga and was making her first start since an impressive 8 ½-length maiden win at Presque Isle Downs on September 17, 2018.

"She was a huge price. In her debut she ran fourth and though she was beaten eight lengths, the winner, Newspaperofrecord, won by 6 ¾-lengths that day and went on to win at the Breeders' Cup," said Clement. "We sent her to Presque Isle and she won by eight lengths on the bridle. We couldn't find a race for her in New York, and we were ambitious to go to Presque Isle to get a win under her belt. She had soundness issues and missed her three-year-old campaign, but she came back in a big way."

Clement also sent out Hoolie Racing Stable's Malibeauty for an impressive debut in a six-furlong maiden sprint. A $235,000 purchase at the 2019 March OBS Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, the 3-year-old Malibu Moon filly won comfortably while never being asked by jockey Samy Camacho.

"Samy was very confident in the filly and she was different class than the field. It was a very educational win for her," said Clement. "She split horses, had plenty of kickback, and won on the bridle. You would think she will improve leaps and bounds from that performance."

The red-hot Clement barn has won 15 races dating back to February 1.

"With so much uncertainty, we're having a lot of runners," said Clement. "Who knows what will take place in the coming weeks. It might be the last chance to run for a while so we're trying to make the most of it now. They're all running well at the moment."

G1 Belmont Stakes-winner Sir Winston at home in New York

Tracy Farmer's reigning Grade 1 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston returned to familiar surroundings at Belmont Park after clearing quarantine on his return from Dubai.

Trained by Mark Casse, the Awesome Again chestnut was a leading contender for the Group 1 Dubai World Cup which was postponed due to the circumstances surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Sir Winston hasn't raced since capturing an optional-claiming tilt on January 31 at the Big A, a one-turn mile where he broke last of seven, but rallied to win by 2 ¼ lengths while garnering a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

Casse said Sir Winston cleared quarantine in Newark and was reunited over the weekend with assistant trainer Jamie Begg.

"He's at Belmont with Jamie and was to gallop this morning," said Casse. "He lost a few pounds on the trip even though he didn't run. We'll let him regroup and see when we start up running again.

"I think he can compete with the better older horses running a mile and an eighth or farther," continued Casse. "For now, we'll put a few pounds on him and keep him happy."

Gary Barber's Grade 1 Preakness winner War of Will has posted back-to-back breezes on the Palm Meadows turf in preparation for his seasonal debut.

"Our hope is to make him a dual Grade 1 winner, dirt and turf," said Casse.

Casse said he was targeting the Grade 1, $500,000 Shoemaker Mile, a one-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and upward slated for May 25 at Santa Anita Park. However, with racing at Santa Anita currently suspended, the Canadian Hall of Fame conditioner is taking a wait-and-see approach.

"He's pretty well ready to run. We just need a place to run him. I was looking at the Shoemaker Mile, but we'll have to see if Santa Anita reopens," said Casse. "Every day is something new, so we play it one day at a time."

Gary Barber's multiple Grade 1-winner Got Stormy finished second, by a neck, to River Boyne in her seasonal debut in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 7 at Santa Anita.

The 5-year-old Get Stormy chestnut breezed a sharp half-mile in 47.65 on March 29 at Palm Meadows in Florida in her first breeze back.

"She was getting bored. We breezed her, but with no real target. She loves to train on the turf," said Casse.

In August, Got Stormy bested the boys in the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave at Saratoga, covering one mile over the firm inner turf in a track record 1:32 flat.

"She'll definitely be ready for Saratoga," said Casse.

The Kentucky Derby is the lone remaining American Classic that Casse yet to capture and the veteran conditioner has John Oxley's Enforceable currently sitting 12^th on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard with 33 points.

The late-running Tapit grey has made his last three starts at Fair Grounds. He rallied from 11^th to win the Grade 3 Lecomte in January and was a late-charging second in the Grade 2 Risen Star in February. Last out, Enforceable closed to be fifth in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby won by a prominent Wells Bayou.

Casse said a dawdling pace in the Louisiana Derby didn't play out well for Enforceable.

"It was a merry-go-round race for the most part. They ran around there in single file," said Casse. "Only Enforceable and the fourth-place horse (Major Fed) made a run."

Casse said the re-scheduling of the Kentucky Derby to September 5^th should benefit Enforceable.

"Physically, he still has to grow up a bit," said Casse. "We've sent him to our training center in Ocala for a couple of weeks."

Casse said Enforceable's strong stretch kick is best served by a swift early pace.

"He doesn't have the ability to get involved early. It's not in his make up," said Casse. "If we get a big pace, you saw what he could do in the Lecomte. And you saw what happened when you don't get a big pace like in the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby."

Gary Barber and Michael B. Sebastian's Untitled is also at Casse's Ocala facility following a good runner-up effort last out in the Grade 3 Gotham, a one-turn mile won by Mischevious Alex.

Casse said Untitled, a Florida-bred son of Khozan, is another horse who will benefit from a later start to the Kentucky Derby. The conditioner had planned to bring Untitled back in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Wood Memorial, which was originally slated for April 4.

"We were going to run him in the Wood," said Casse. "But now, I try to look for some of the positives in not running, and we have plenty of positives in that my family and the people that work for us are healthy. 

"From a horse racing standpoint, if there's any horse that will appreciate a little extra time it's him," added Casse. "He's a big, leggy colt and when he fills out he's going to be the man."

Max Player and Montauk Traffic continue to train amid waiting game

Trainer Linda Rice said she is continuing to play the waiting game with promising sophomores Max Player and Montauk Traffic amid the uncertainty around the upcoming national stakes schedule due to circumstances regarding the coronavirus.

Owned by George E. Hall,  Rice said the Grade 3 Withers winner Max Player was pointing to the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino slated for April 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Chris Fountoukis' Montauk Traffic captured the Jimmy Winkfield in February at the Big A ahead of a rallying fourth in the Grade 3 Gotham on March 7. Rice said she was targeting the Grade 3, $250,000 Bay Shore with Montauk Traffic, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores also slated for April 4 at the Big A.

"Right now, I have a couple nice 3-year-olds I was excited about running in the Wood Memorial and the Bay Shore," said Rice. "I'm anxious to hear of adjustments to the schedule regarding preps for the Belmont Stakes and what they're going to do with the rest of the three-year-old classics. We know where the Derby is but we're not sure what other changes there might be."

Max Player last breezed on March 18 covering seven furlongs in 1:27.20 on the Belmont training track.

"We worked him seven-eighths last time and considering we don't have a target just yet, we're spacing his works out a little bit more," said Rice. "We breezed Montauk Traffic this past week (six furlongs in 1:14.33 on March 25). We had a little rain in the forecast but we should be able to breeze Max Player again shortly."

Alpha Delta Stables' Scilly Cay captured the Rego Park on January 12 to provide Rice her 2,000^th career win. However, the New York-bred son of Fed Biz was off the board in two subsequent efforts when fourth in the Gander and sixth in the Damon Runyon.

"We sent him out for a break. He tailed off his last two races and with us not racing, it was the right time to do so," said Rice. "He came out of the last race okay but I felt like his performance had tailed off."

Rice said Beach Haven Thoroughbreds' multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Newly Minted is also enjoying some downtime following her runner-up effort last out in the Heavenly Prize Invitational.