Clement holds pair of aces for West Point, Yaddo
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The West Point and Yaddo stakes, brother and sister races at 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf on the all-New York-bred card at Saratoga on Friday, are polar opposites.
The West Point, for 3-year-olds and up, is extremely deep and has attracted all of the usual suspects. There is little separating Lubash, King Kreesa, Kharafa, and Notacatbutallama, and victory will not come easily.
The Yaddo, for fillies and mares, is evenly matched only if you exclude Discreet Marq, the 4-5 morning-line favorite. Discreet Marq lays over her 10 rivals.
Christophe Clement trains Lubash and Discreet Marq, whom he said are doing well and are ready for battle.
“They are both nice, consistent horses,” he said.
They both also fit the Clement mold, as Lubash and Discreet Marq have held their best form for several years.
Lubash and Discreet Marq started their careers for other trainers. Lubash, 8, came to Clement in 2012 as a 5-year-old. In 18 starts since, he has gone 7-6-3 and earned more than $650,000.
Discreet Marq moved to Clement’s barn early in her 3-year-old season in 2013. She has earned more than $1.1 million since then while going 6-4-3 from 15 starts. Last November, Moyglare Stud purchased her for $2.4 million from her owner and breeder, Patricia Generazio. Moyglare kept the 5-year-old in training with Clement.
Other current horses in Clement’s stable who have enjoyed successful and lengthy careers include Red Vine, 5, and Middleburg, 5. Past stalwarts include Summer Front, 3 1/2 years with Clement; Za Approval, 3 1/2 years; Naples Bay, three years; and the granddaddy of them all, Gio Ponti, $6.1 million in earnings between 2007 and 2011.
“There are two reasons why some of our horses have had long careers,” Clement said. “One, we are patient. We give the 2-year-olds a chance, and then we back off them. Two, we keep them sound, and we give them the winter off.”
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A current case in point is Too Discreet, a 2-year-old full brother to Discreet Marq who is 2 for 2 at this meet, including last Friday’s Schenectady Stakes.
“We have given him two races, he was won them both, and now we are going to give him some time off and point to his 3-year-old season,” Clement said. “He most likely will not race again until next year.”
Lubash has won his last two starts and is a top contender in the West Point. However, he will have to deal with last year’s West Point winner, King Kreesa.
King Kreesa was transferred to trainer David Donk after his 2013 campaign. He had injured a foot while preparing for his comeback and came into the West Point off an eight-month layoff and wearing a bar shoe.
Donk was concerned whether King Kreesa was ready for the race, but the horse went right to the lead and beat Lubash by a head, with Notacatbutallama a length farther back in third.
This year, King Kreesa comes into the West Point off a close fourth in the Grade 2 Fourstardave and wins in the Forbidden Apple and the Grade 3 Poker.
“He’s obviously done great for us, and the foot problems are all behind him,” Donk said. “He was good in the Poker. He was better in the Forbidden Apple, and he also ran good in the Fourstardave. Those horses who beat him last time all have big plans.”
King Kreesa will be coming back on two weeks’ rest following the Fourstardave, but Donk, who worked for the legendary Woody Stephens before going out on his own, doesn’t see a problem.
“I don’t worry about running horses back on short rest if they are doing well,” Donk said. “Woody sure wasn’t that way. King Kreesa is a New York-bred turf horse, and there are a limited number of spots, basically from April to October.”
In last year’s Yaddo, Discreet Marq lunged as the gates opened and got away poorly. She chased Dayatthespa all the way around the course and finished second. Dayatthespa went on to win the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland and the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita. The waters are not as deep Friday.