Clement, Santos hook up again

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Trainer Christophe Clement and jockey Jose Santos teamed up for a victory in the Grade 3, $100,000 Matchmaker Handicap two years ago with Horatia, and they reunite in this year's edition of the 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies on Sunday with likely favorite Siringas.

Clement, who ran third in last year's Matchmaker with Lucky Lune, trains several graded-stakes-class female grass horses. With the Matchmaker and New York Handicap at Belmont being run the same weekend, Clement doesn't have to run his turf females against each other. Clement sent out Volga in the New York Handicap Saturday, and she ran second under Santos.

Siringas, a 4-year-old, enters the Matchmaker off an impressive win at Woodbine in the Grade 2 Nassau. Siringas had been racing near the lead, but in the Nassau she ran without blinkers for the first time in the U.S. and won from off the pace. She will race without blinkers Sunday.

Siringas started her career in Ireland, where last September she ran sixth in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes behind Fantastic Light and Galileo. Since coming to the U.S. last October, she has two wins and two seconds, including a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Athenia at Belmont on Oct. 26.

"She came from off the pace and won going away in her last race," Clement said. "The Matchmaker is a graded stakes and it's always competitive, but she's a very consistent filly and I expect her to run well Sunday."

Trainer Bobby Frankel, who entered Denon in Saturday's Grade 1 United Nations Handicap, sends out Autumn Rhythm for the Matchmaker. She comes off a late-closing second in an allowance at Santa Anita March 27. Garrett Gomez ride Autumn Rhythm on Sunday.

Clearly a Queen, a Grade 3 winner, has run well in two starts here since moving from Bill White's barn to the barn of Terri Pompay. In the Politely Stakes June 9, she closed strongly into a slow pace for third.

Trainer Shug McGaughey, who has three wins in four starts this meet, ships in Unbridled Vice from New York. She finished second behind Volga in a three-other-than allowance race at Belmont June 13.

Unbridled Vice was scratched out of Thursday's Grade 2 New York Handicap to run here.

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