Clearance Clarence will see if lessons pay off in Real Quiet

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The three horses who finished in front of Clearance Clarence in the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes at Hollywood Park on Oct. 2 – Jaycito, J P’s Gusto, and Riveting Reason – are entered in Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs.

Clearance Clarence did not make the trip. His fourth-place finish in the Norfolk translates to a start in Saturday’s $100,000 Real Quiet Stakes for 2-year-olds over 1 1/16 miles at Hollywood Park, far from the national spotlight. That is not an issue for trainer George Papaprodromou, Papaprodromou, 34, a native of Cyprus, has a five-horse stable and will be after his first career stakes win in the Real Quiet, with a lightly-raced colt he insists is improving.

“He’s training awesome,” Papaprodromou said. “He came out of the Norfolk a different horse. He’s more mature and more aggressive now. He was a lazy worker before but now he picks it up as he goes.”

Clearance Clarence led for the first six furlongs of the Norfolk and finished 3 3/4 lengths behind Jaycito as a 71-1 outsider. Since that race, Papaprodromou has sought to teach Clearance Clarence patience in recent works, giving him a pacesetter as a target.

“I kind of did the Zenyatta thing,” the trainer said, with a laugh. “I worked him behind horses and schooled him a little bit. I hope we won’t have any problem. I think there might a little speed. If they want to go, let them go.”

Clearance Clarence is part of a field of 10 in the Real Quiet, the ninth race on a 10-race program that begins at 11:15 a.m. Pacific to accommodate the simulcast of the Breeders’ Cup races. The field features two Fairplex Park stakes winners from September – Clubhouse Ride (Barretts Juvenile) and Celestic Night (C.B. Afflerbaugh Stakes) – who returned to finish third and fourth in the Jack Goodman Stakes on Oct. 23.

Clubhouse Ride was beaten 2 1/4 lengths as the 5-2 favorite in the Goodman after racing in traffic on the turn.

“He had more trouble than a married man,” trainer Craig Lewis said.

The Real Quiet will be Clubhouse Ride’s ninth start of the year, but the colt has thrived on the activity, Lewis said.

“We started him out going 4 1/2 furlongs, which was too short, but we wanted to get some experience,” he said. “He really came around at Del Mar.”

Trainer Doug O’Neill has two starters, including Dime, claimed for $32,000 out of a maiden race he won by 10 1/4 lengths on Oct. 22.

The Real Quiet marks the stakes debut for two promising maiden race winners in October – Jakesam, who won over 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 1 in his third start for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer; and Hollywood Fierce, a gelding by Tapit who beat maidens over 5 1/2 furlongs in a 50-1 shocker on Oct. 16 for trainer Dan Hendricks.

“He’s the kind that if you work him five-eighths, he gallops out seven-eighths,” Hendricks said.”He’s bred to go long.”