Belmont Park: Mystical Star gets first stakes win in New York Stakes

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

Mystical Star, with jockey Jose Lezcano up, wins the Grade 2 New York Stakes at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Mystical Star, who was disqualified from third in a tough-trip Sheepshead Bay five weeks ago, enjoyed smoother sailing en route to her first career stakes victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 New York Stakes.

Mystical Star, a Ghostzapper filly who has been vastly improved in three starts as a 4-year-old for Christophe Clement, broke through the barrier an instant before the gates opened in the Sheepshead Bay and fell back nearly 20 lengths off the lead before rallying to finish third behind Aruna and Hit It Rich in the Sheepshead Bay.

After an uneventful start in the New York, Mystical Star moved up to take over from longshot The Underling down the backstretch under Jose Lezcano and repelled a stretch bid from Aruna to score by a length, with Hit It Rich another half-length behind in third.

“She broke well, and we told the jock to put her wherever she was comfortable,” Clement said. “She’s obviously a top-class filly, and provided she comes out of the race well, we’ll have to think about the Beverly D. She was very nice last year, but then her form went down. She was not quite as sound, so we gave her time and came back with her. She came back better than ever.”

Mystical Star ran the 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.17 on a firm inner turf course and paid $11.80 to win as the fourth choice in a field of six older fillies and mares.

Principal Role finished fourth. Banimpire was a lackluster fifth as the slight 9-5 choice in her U.S. debut. The Underling completed the order of finish.