Clairiere finds new gear late in Phipps to inhale Search Results
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ELMONT, N.Y. - Uncorking a late surge, Stonestreet Farm homebred Clairiere blew by Search Results by a half-length to repeat in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps Stakes for fillies and mares on Saturday afternoon at Belmont Park.
"She does love that late kick," Stonestreet owner Barbara Banke said. "Just enough to give me a slight coronary!"
The Phipps was a Win and You're In for the Breeders' Cup Distaff, set for Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. Clairiere was third, beaten just a head, in last year's BC Distaff at Keeneland.
The 5-year-old daughter of Curlin has championship aspirations this season and now has a pair of Grade 1 victories in the first half of the year. She captured the Apple Blossom in April at Oaklawn Park.
"We're trying," Banke said.
Clairiere is the fourth horse to win the Ogden Phipps twice, joining Heatherten (1984-85), Sightseek (2003-04), and Take D'Tour (2006-07). She also gave her trainer Steve Asmussen a record fourth win in this race, all in the last five years. In addition to the last two years with Clairiere, Asmussen saddled champion Midnight Bisou to win in 2019, followed by She's a Julie in 2020.
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Allen Jerkens, Shug McGaughey, Bobby Frankel, Todd Pletcher, Bill Mott, and Kiaran McLaughlin have all won the race three times.
Clairiere ($5.50), sent away favored, was unhurried early by regular rider Joel Rosario, and was last in the compact field of six, but with only five lengths separating first from last through the opening half.
Up front, it was Gamestonks, the longest shot on the board, who seized the lead from a keen Played Hard before getting away with a moderate early opening half in 48.63 seconds. As she began to beat a retreat on the far turn, Played Hard assumed command, but was confronted by Search Results, a Grade 1 winner on this track.
When the field straightened into the lane, Search Results wrested a half-length lead from Played Hard and began to edge clear. But Rosario had gotten Clairiere rolling on the outside. The mare still had two lengths to make up in deep stretch, but she stretched out toward her foe, with a roar from the crowd. Clairiere surged by Search Results in the final yards, pricking her ears at the wire.
The final time for the 1 1/16 miles on the fast track was 1:43.40. She was assigned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.
After Search Results, it was 2 1/2 lengths back to Played Hard, who gave a good account of herself after winning the Grade 1 La Troienne last month. It was 3 1/4 lengths after that to Pass the Champagne, with 2022 Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath and a fading Gamestonks completing the order of finish.
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