Clement strong in three turf races
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There are three allowance races scheduled for the turf on Thursday at Aqueduct, and trainer Christophe Clement appears to have major players in all of them.
Thursday’s eight-race card kicks off the final week of racing in Queens before this circuit travels eight miles east to Belmont Park beginning May 4.
Thursday’s card begins with a second-level allowance/optional $45,000 claimer scheduled for 1 1/16 miles where Clement has the uncoupled entry of New Ginya and Home for Christmas.
New Ginya came off a five-month layoff to win a first-level statebred allowance here April 8. While it is not Clement’s style to run back so soon, he noted the next race in this condition isn’t for another month.
“I thought she ran very well first time back; we enter Saturday for Thursday so I need a few more days to think about it, but if she’s okay she’ll run,” Clement said.
Home for Christmas is making her first start since last November, when she finished sixth in a first-level, open-company allowance. Clement said this could be “an ambitious placing” for the 5-year-old mare who is just 2 for 14.
Sanura, trained by Barclay Tagg, came off a year layoff to win a first-level allowance on Gulfstream Park’s Tapeta surface in March. This will be her first start against New York-breds.
Whatlovelookslike, trained by Todd Pletcher, beat New Ginya by a half-length at Saratoga last September and was fourth, beaten three-quarters of a length, in a spot similar to this last October.
In Thursday’s third race, an open first-level/optional $62,500 claimer scheduled for six furlongs, Clement sends out Love Appeals, who cuts back to one turn after a pair of two-turn races at Gulfstream where she won her maiden by a neck and was fourth as the favorite in the Sanibel Island Stakes.
“I’ve always thought she trained like a filly with a lot of speed,” Clement said. “I did everything I could to try and stretch her speed. We always tried to slow her down, but I think we’re going to stop fighting her and let her run her race.”
Manny Franco rides from post 2.
Sweetlou’sgotaces won the Tepin Stakes here at a mile last November before two last-place finishes in graded stakes at Gulfstream to begin her 3-year-old campaign.
Georgees Spirit finished third in last November’s Stewart Manor and makes her first start since for Jorge Abreu. Senior Prank, fifth in the Ruthless on dirt last out, makes her turf debut for Chad Brown.
In race 7, a New York-bred second-level allowance/optional $45,000 claimer for males at six furlongs, Clement brings Frank’s Art and Yarrow back to the races off five-month layoffs.
Frank’s Art won two of his first four starts before a third-place finish – he was placed second due to the disqualification of runner-up Bar Fourteen, who also is in this field – in this condition on Nov. 18.
“Frank’s Art’s never missed a beat, he’s training well. I like him. The more pace the better,” Clement said.
Yarrow was gelded since his last race in November. Clement said the horse was a bit on the anxious side. He, too, would benefit from pace.
Vacation Dance, who won the Atlantic Beach Stakes last summer for trainer John Kimmel, gets back on the turf and looks like the main speed after an eighth-place finish in the Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series in December.
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