Brown, Clement have the market cornered in Sheepshead Bay
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Between them, trainers Chad Brown and Christophe Clement have won nine runnings of the Sheepshead Bay. One of them is assured of adding to his trophy collection in Friday’s 64th renewal of the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay. Brown sends out three and Clement two in the five-horse field.
Brown, who has won this 1 3/8-mile turf race for females five times – all in the last seven years – sends out Mylady, Higher Truth, and Virginia Joy, the 1-2-4 finishers of the Grade 3 The Very One at Gulfstream Park on March 4.
Mylady, in her first start for Brown, showed a dynamic turn of foot going from last of 10 entering the far turn to right up on the lead turning for home. She opened a clear advantage in midstretch and held Higher Truth at bay to the wire.
“To do that at Gulfstream is very difficult, it was quite impressive,” Brown said.
Dylan Davis rides Mylady from the rail.
Higher Truth, making her first start in nine months in the The Very One, encountered traffic trouble at about the time Mylady was getting a clear outside run. Still, Higher Truth split horses and came within three-quarters of a length at the finish.
“She was in a bunch of trouble there and she came out of the race a bit cut up and had some staples in a hind leg,” Brown said. “She had a rough trip, not that Mylady had a great trip.”
Though she’s run only twice in the last 19 months, Higher Truth did have a solid 3-year-old campaign in 2021 when she finished in the money in all three legs of NYRA’s Turf Triple.
Virginia Joy was a dominant 14 1/4-length winner of last year’s Sheepshead Bay, run over a boggy turf course. Virginia Joy also used her speed to upset War Like Goddess in the Grade 2 Flower Bowl at Saratoga.
Brown said either Higher Truth, who breaks from post 4 under Manny Franco, or Virginia Joy, who has Jose Gomez from post 3, have enough speed to be forward in the Sheepshead Bay.
Clement has won this race four times, first in 1993 with Trampoli. Friday, he sends out Amazing Grace and Atomic Blonde, the first and third finishers in the Grade 3 Orchid at Gulfstream on April 1.
Amazing Grace showed an electric turn of foot after getting shuffled back and having to alter course turning for home. Atomic Blonde made a wide and early move, which may have cost her in the end.
“One filly was a touch wide and moved a bit early,” Clement said. “Amazing Grace got in a little bit of trouble and showed a good turn of foot. They both ran well and came out of the race in good shape.”
Kendrick Carmouche will ride Amazing Grace from post 5, while Atomic Blonde starts from post 2 under Eric Cancel.
With a short field, the Sheepshead Bay goes as race 4 on the nine-race program, which begins at 1 p.m. and includes the Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester Stakes.
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