Clement well-positioned in turf co-features

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Christophe Clement has contenders in each of the two New York-bred turf allowance races that end Friday’s Belmont Park card. He hopes thunderstorms that are in the forecast don’t force the races to the main track.

In race 8, a second-level optional $45,000 claimer scheduled for seven furlongs, Clement sends out the uncoupled pair of Kokopelli and Mischievous Dream. The race has seven runners entered for turf, four additional entrants to run only if the race is moved to dirt.

Kokopelli, a 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, won her debut last November as the favorite in a field of 11. She didn’t run again until May, when she rallied from eighth to win by 2 1/2 lengths as the 4-5 favorite in a field of nine. Both of those wins were at six furlongs.

“Both races have been pretty impressive so far,” Clement said. “I think she stays seven as long as you save her, try to get her to relax.”

Kokopelli will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. from the outside post.

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Mischievous Dream, also a 3-year-old by Into Mischief, won the Sorority Stakes in 2020. She finished third in the Honey Ryder Stakes on May 1 at Gulfstream Park. That race has proven to be productive as Con Lima, who won the Honey Ryder, came back to win the Grade 3 Wonder Again here and Por Que No, fourth in the Honey Ryder, came back to win the Boiling Springs last Saturday at Monmouth Park. Honey Ryder runner-up Karakatsie came back to get beat just a neck in the Martha Washington on June 19 at Gulfstream.

“The race turned out to be a much better race than expected,” Clement said. “She’s training well. I think seven-eighths is an ideal distance. Let’s just hope it stays on the grass, and we’ll go from there.”

Mischievous Dream, who will be ridden by Javier Castellano, gets Lasix for the first time.

If the race is moved to the dirt, Betsy Blue will aim for her fourth consecutive victory, her most recent success coming by 5 1/4 lengths in the Bouwerie Stakes for statebreds in the mud.

In race 9, a second-level optional $45,000 claimer scheduled for 1 1/16 miles, Clement sends out Somethingtotellyou, a 4-year-old gelding by Honor Code.

Somethingtotellyou is coming out of a sixth-place finish in an open allowance going 1 1/4 miles. In this gelding’s case, Clement would not mind some cut in the turf and he expects Somethingtotellyou to be more involved early than he was last time.

“In case it rains and the ground is soft I think he should enjoy the mile and a sixteenth on softer ground,” Clement said. “I don’t know if he’ll be on the lead, but he’s a galloper – because he’s one-paced he needs to be kept at his own pace. He probably had too much to do last time.”

Good Old Boy and Klickitat, separated by a neck in this same condition on May 13, are back again. This time, Good Old Boy is entered for the claiming price. He will be reunited with Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard for that win but not for the gelding’s fifth-place finish in an open 1 1/4-mile allowance on June 11.

If on dirt, Too Early, Three Jokers, and Danebury become the major contenders.