Brown, Clement set for another turf battle in pair of statebred stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainers Chad Brown and Christophe Clement appear to have the protagonists in each of the two $125,000 New York-bred turf stakes scheduled for Sunday’s closing-day program at Aqueduct.

In the Hudson Valley, for males at one mile, Brown sends out the rising statebred star Spirit of St Louis against Clement’s nine-time stakes winner City Man. In the Port Washington, for females at 1 1/16 miles, Clement may have the upper hand when he runs Silver Skillet against the Brown-trained Marvelous Maude.

Spirit of St Louis, a 5-year-old gelding by Medaglia d’Oro, has seven wins from nine starts. He is 5 for 6 on turf and 3 for 3 at Aqueduct, including a victory in the open-company Danger’s Hour Stakes in April.

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Spirit of St Louis also is adept on dirt, winning twice from three starts. He galloped to a 5 3/4-length victory in the Kingston Stakes on June 9 at Saratoga, a race originally scheduled for turf but was rained off to the dirt.

Brown said at some point he plans to try Spirit of St Louis in an open graded stakes “but this race makes a lot of sense for him right now.”

Manny Franco, who most likely will win the meet’s riding title, rides Spirit of St Louis from the rail.

One of Spirit of St Louis’s two defeats came to City Man in last summer’s West Point Stakes at Saratoga. That was the 11th and most recent victory for City Man, a 7-year-old son of Mucho Macho Man who has earned $1.1 million. City Man was beaten by Spirit of St Louis in last fall’s Ashley T. Cole and Mohawk stakes at Aqueduct.

Clement had planned to run City Man in the Kingston before it was rained off, making this his first start since October.

“He’s 7 now, we’ll see how he does off the layoff, but he seems to be training well,” Clement said.

Joel Rosario rides from post 5.

City Man is 2 for 2 at one mile, both wins coming against open company.

Though only a five-horse field, there are others in here with a chance. Dakota Gold won this race last year for trainer Danny Gargan, but has finished behind City Man and Spirit of St Louis in each of his last three starts.

Jerry the Nipper, trained by Todd Pletcher, has placed in 6 of 7 stakes against New York-breds but hasn’t won any of them. His last victory came in an open-company allowance on July 30 at Saratoga. Most recently, he finished fourth in the off-the-turf Kingston.

Itsallcomintogetha, trained by Phil Serpe, is coming off a second-level allowance win against statebreds on May 24 and is likely going to attempt to wire this field under Jose Gomez.

The Hudson Valley goes as the second race on a nine-race card that begins at 1:05 p.m.

Port Washington Stakes

Silver Skillet rolled to a four-length victory in the off-the-turf Mount Vernon Stakes on June 9 at Saratoga, but Clement is eager to get the 4-year-old daughter of Liam’s Map back on turf in the Port Washington.

Silver Skillet won the Suzie O’Cain for statebreds on turf at Saratoga last summer and twice ran well in open-company turf stakes. She was beaten three-quarters of a length when fourth in the Grade 3 Pebbles last year.

“She ran very well a couple of times against open company,” Clement said. “Her last race was very impressive.”

Marvelous Maude has only raced twice in the last 20 months. In her only start last year, she won the Mount Vernon at Belmont. In her lone start so far this year, she finished third, beaten 10 lengths, in the Plenty of Grace Stakes.

“She’s had bad luck with the weather,” Brown said. “She was ready at the Belmont at Saratoga meet and it rained off. It’s not her fault for her lack of racing. She’s been ready to run, doing well.”

Michael Dubb is part-owner of Marvelous Maude and said after having to stop on the mare last year he wanted to give Marvelous Maude another chance to have a big year.

Dubb campaigned both the sire, Slumber, and the mare, Wait Your Turn. He named the progeny after Maude Walsh, a former hospitality manager for the New York Racing Association.

Whatlovelookslike, trained by Pletcher, won the Port Washington last year when it was run over yielding ground at Belmont Park. She has not run since a fourth-place finish in the Long Island on Nov. 12.

Conversely, Snowy Evening is wheeling back after finishing second, beaten a half-length, in a second-level statebred allowance going a mile on June 28. David Donk trains Snowy Evening. Dylan Davis rides.

Lisa’s Vision, who beat Silver Skillet in an allowance race at Belmont Park in June 2023, completes the field. Franco rides for David Duggan.

Following Sunday’s card, racing on this circuit moves to Saratoga for a 40-day meet beginning Thursday.

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