Clement goes for fourth win in Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Christophe Clement has won the first three runnings of the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational, the last two with Disco Partner.

Clement and Disco Partner will look to keep their streaks intact in Saturday’s $150,000 Belmont Turf Sprint, which can be used as a stepping-stone to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

Disco Partner, a 7-year-old New York-bred gelding, is winless in six starts since last year’s Belmont Turf Sprint. He is coming off a third to Shekky Shebaz in the Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga.

Shekky Shebaz is back in this spot. His victory in the Lucky Coin was his first start for trainer Jason Servis.

Others entered in the Belmont Sprint are Final Frontier, Fully Vested, Gidu, Hawkish, and They Shot Sonny.

Karak tops small Matron

The 2-year-old filly Karak, who has beaten males twice, will face her own gender for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Matron Stakes set for six furlongs on turf. The Matron drew a field of only six.

Karak, a daughter of Karakontie, beat males in a five-furlong maiden race at Belmont and in the Tyro at Monmouth. In between, she finished 15th in the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot.

Karak’s competition Saturday includes New York-breds A Freud of Mama, Time Limit and Classy Sadie as well as Alms and the maiden Pure Wow.