Clement, Brown face off in Artie Schiller, Winter Memories stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Two large, competitive fields combine with two well-worn and likely wet turf courses to make for two complicated handicapping puzzles Sunday when Aqueduct conducts the $135,000 Winter Memories and $135,000 Artie Schiller stakes.

The Winter Memories, for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, drew 10 turf runners and two main-track-only entrants. It will be run on the outer turf course with the rails up 24 feet.

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The Artie Schiller, pushed back a day due to expected rain Friday and early Saturday, is for 3-year-olds and up going a mile on the inner turf, where the rails are up 9 feet. The Artie Schiller drew 11 for the turf – only 10 may run – and two main-track-only entrants.

Here’s a look at the two turf events:

Artie Schiller Stakes

Sidelined with bone bruising that kept him away from the races for 15 months, the multiple stakes winner Decorated Invader has come back with two solid efforts at the allowance level and makes his third start back in the Artie Schiller. After getting beat a nose at Pimlico on Sept. 24, the 5-year-old Decorated Invader came back to win an allowance at Woodbine on Oct. 23.

He has shown an affinity for turf with give in it.

“He’s not the easiest horse to train all the time, but he’s a very honest horse who tries very hard,” trainer Christophe Clement said.

Clement also sends out Big Everest, who has also won over yielding turf and does his best work on the front end. He went gate to wire in an allowance race here on Sept. 29.

“He looks like he’s better if he can be ridden in a forward way,” Clement said.

Wolfie’s Dynaghost and Somelikeithotbrown are the others with speed in the field.

Chad Brown enters the pair of Sifting Sands and Good Governance. Brown on Friday he wasn’t sure Sifting Sands would run if the course is soft.

Good Governance comes off a three-quarter-length defeat to Big Everest on Sept. 29.

“He’s been a little frustrating,” Brown said. “He seems to be in good form and really sound right now.”

Pao Alto, trained by Graham Motion, has good form on off turf in Europe. Shadow Sphinx, Homer Screen, and Dynadrive round out the field on turf. Airman is the also-eligible.

Double Crown, the Grade 2 Kelso winner, and Polka Dots are entered for the main track.

Winter Memories Stakes

Brown and Clement have combined to win four of the first six runnings of the Winter Memories and each has a trio of entrants on Sunday.

Brown sends out Salimah, Eminent Victor, and Veronica Greene, while Clement goes with She’s a Mia, Myriskyaffair, and Parnac.

Salimah, a daughter of El Kabeir, is 2 for 3 and coming off a first-level allowance win on Sept. 30. That came after a seventh-place finish at Saratoga off a seven-month layoff in August.

“In hindsight, I don’t think I had her prepared to run as well as I should have,” Brown said of her August start. “Her second start off the layoff is more representative of how she trains and what we always thought of her.”

Salimah is owned by Stephanie Seymour Brant. Her husband, Peter Brant, owns recent maiden winner Veronica Greene, who has shown improvement since moving from dirt to turf.

“It took her a little while to get together mentally, but I do like what I’m seeing training,” Brown said. “We’ll see if she can step up into stakes company.”

Eminent Victor is the most accomplished of the Brown trio, having won the Wild Applause Stakes in June and twice placing in graded stakes in the summer.

“She’s had some really solid races,” Brown said. “I wish she had broken through a little more during the course of the year. I’d like to see her finishing off her races a little better.”

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Of Clement’s trio, Myriskyaffair comes in off a first-level allowance win and ran a solid second to Consumer Spending in the Grade 2 Wonder Again over yielding ground in June.

She’s a Mia is coming off two wins versus New York-breds and will be making her third start in 37 days.

Parnac, stuck in post 10, comes off an allowance win over firm ground here on Oct. 20.

“She was impressive, she won well,” Clement said.

Parnac ran twice last year in Germany. She won both races, both over turf rated good.

Spirit and Glory won the Virginia Oaks over firm turf at Colonial Downs in September, and ran a better-than-it-looks fifth in the Grade 2 Sands Point here on Oct. 15. In that race, jockey Dylan Davis took a hold of the filly early and had her behind horses, a trip that didn’t work out.

“You can’t really touch her mouth, so as soon as he tapped on the brakes that was it for her,” trainer Robert Falcone said. “He ended up having to fight her for another three-eighths, half-mile. It takes a lot of energy out of them.”

Kendrick Carmouche rides Sunday.

Candy Light, an allowance winner at Keeneland after receiving a dream trip from Joel Rosario, finished third to Spirit and Glory in the Virginia Oaks.

Hail To and Tasaweya complete the field on turf.

Tizzy in the Sky and Missy Greer would run if the race is run on dirt.

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