Brown sends two more from arsenal of turf fillies
ELMONT, N.Y. – While the best 3-year-old turf filly in the country fights the good fight against laminitis, two of her stablemates will try to prove themselves worthy of competing in stakes for 3-year-old turf fillies later this summer when they run in a first-level allowance race Friday at Belmont Park.
Lady Eli, the sparkling winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks in her last start, has set a bar that no one in the division can match, but it was announced Monday by trainer Chad Brown that she is battling laminitis, a sometimes-fatal hoof disease. Her absence – likely for at least the rest of this year – will leave a void in the division and in Brown’s barn. Brown has a plethora of turf fillies, and he hopes Fila Primera and Stella Street can develop into stakes-caliber horses.
Fila Primera, a debut winner at Belmont last September, was a twice beaten favorite in stakes company last fall. She is making her first start in eight months in Friday’s 1 1/16-mile allowance race.
Stella Street was purchased privately by Seth Klarman and William Lawrence following a debut win against 13 rivals in Ireland in May of her 2-year-old season. She finished last after a slow start in the Wait a While Stakes at Belmont, her 2015 debut.
Trainers Christophe Clement and Todd Pletcher also have two runners each in the race. The Clement-trained Viva Malala, a half-sister to the five-time stakes winner Icabad Crane, will try open company for the first time after going 2 for 2 against New York-breds on turf.
“I thought this would be easier than a two-other-than New York-bred,” said Clement, whose other runner is the Britain-bred Clutchingatstraws.
Pletcher sends out debut winner Aljalela and Southern Gem, a 17-1 maiden winner here June 4.
KEY CONTENDERS
Fila Primera (Last 3 Beyers: 70-66-65)
◗ A debut winner last fall at Belmont, Fila Primera finished third in the Grade 3 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland and fourth in the Wait a While Stakes at Gulfstream Park West to end her juvenile campaign.
“We’ve always thought a lot of that filly,” Brown said. “She has plenty of talent to win first time out in New York. We freshened her up after her race at Gulfstream Park West, and this looked like a logical place to get her 3-year-old season started.”
◗ Kendrick Carmouche rides from the outside post.
:: DRF Bets Exotic Summer: Take out the takeout on Friday's pick five at Belmont Park
Stella Street (Beyer: 68)
◗ After her debut win, a setback forced her to miss the remainder of her 2-year-old season.
◗ Brown is adding blinkers to the filly’s equipment Friday.
“She seems to be training better with a race in her and the addition of blinkers,” Brown said.
◗ Irad Ortiz Jr., back from a suspension, rides from post 7.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Stella Street. Trainer Chad Brown is 10-3-0-3 with a $4.84 ROI over the past two years in turf routes at Belmont Park when adding blinkers. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Viva Malala. Won a statebred allowance June 7 at Belmont Park. Four horses she beat have run since, and none finished in the money. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan