Clement takes aim at trio of juvenile maiden races

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There are five maiden races Friday at Aqueduct, three of which are for juveniles, on what is expected to be the calm before another storm hits the New York area for the weekend.

Trainer Christophe Clement has runners in each of the maiden races for 2-year-olds, beginning with Pandagate in the opener, a one-mile dirt race for New York-bred males that drew a field of seven.

Pandagate, the only first-time starter in the field, is by Arrogate and was purchased for $130,000 at the Saratoga yearling sale in August 2022. He is owned in partnership by Adelphi Racing and Madaket Stables.

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Pandagate is out of the dam Kitty Panda, herself a debut winner for Clement in 2012. Half-siblings Panster and Countable took multiple starts to get their maiden victories.

“He’s trained well, probably will need a race, but I like him,” Clement said.

Mama’s Middle, winless in two starts for Mike Maker at Saratoga, returns from a two-month layoff as a first-time gelding.

In race 2, a six-furlong turf maiden for juvenile fillies, Clement entered two runners, the stronger of whom, Marco T., is three-deep on the also-eligible list and unlikely to make it into the field. Clement will send out the first-time starter Twisted Romance, who is out of the winless dam Meetmeonline, a half-sister to the multiple graded stakes winner Bucchero.

Twisted Romance was a $485,000 2-year-old in training purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale. She is owned by a partnership that includes Siena Farm and WinStar Farm.

“She’s trained well, a little bit anxious, but a nice filly, excited to see her run,” Clement said. “Disappointed that Marco T. might not get to run.”

Lamorna, third in a maiden race last time out for Bill Mott, turns back to six furlongs. At Saratoga, Lamorna was beaten only 1 1/4 lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs, a race in which she got pinched back to last at the break.

Sale Leaseback is a well-bred first-time starter for trainer Chad Brown, who also sends out second-time starter Echo Lake, who was a well-beaten seventh on debut on dirt.

Madam Leota, trained by Jose Jimenez, is a firster by Ghostzapper and a half-sister to the $1.1 million earner Melmich, a 17-time winner on synthetic.

In race 6, a 1 1/16-mile turf race, Clement sends out Fred George, a son of No Nay Never out of a dam that produced Ivawood, who won the first three starts of his career in Great Britain, including a pair of Group 2 stakes. He also was beaten a nose in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

“He’s the only No Nay [Never] that is not a sprinter, I guess,” Clement said. “He looks well, but he wants to go long on the grass, so we’ll try. He’s got a terrible draw.”

Fred George drew post 11 in a field of 13 for turf, but one that will be limited to 12 runners.

Both Brown and Todd Pletcher have two in the field. Brown sends out Midnight Council and Walley World, both of whom have run once. Pletcher sends out a pair of first-time starters in Prariedale, a son of Uncle Mo out of a mare who went 1 for 15 on turf, and Admiral Nimitz, a half-brother to Agua Dulce, who won second out over the Aqueduct turf course last October.

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