Cloon set for a winning U.S. debut

MIAMI - Trainer Christophe Clement's seemingly endless supply of talented European turf invaders has another stakes-caliber filly on its roster: the 4-year-old Cloon, who appears to have found the perfect spot to begin her U.S. career in Monday's $40,000 Joy to the World Stakes at Calder. The Joy to the World will be co-featured on Monday's card along with the $40,000 Our Dear Peggy Stakes for older horses on the grass.

is already a listed stakes winner and Group 3-placed in France, where she raced under the tutelage of Clement's brother Nicolas. A daughter of Lure, she has been training steadily at Payson Park this fall and looks to have a decided class edge over her nine rivals in the 1 1/16-mile Joy to the World.

Cloon, who will race on Lasix for the first time, has earned Timeform ratings in triple digits in six of her last eight starts, with her only poor efforts during that period coming over heavy or wet ground. She finished second two starts back in a listed stakes at Chantilly over firmer footing and figures to relish the Calder turf course, which has been extremely fast during the past several weeks.

Cloon will carry 118 pounds under the allowance conditions of the Joy to the World, five pounds fewer than highweight Fin, another former European performer. Trained by Graham Motion, Fin began her U.S. career with a pair of allowance wins this summer at Delaware Park.

Fin wheels back on short rest after finishing fifth, beaten by just 2 1/2 lengths, under similar conditions in the Connie Ann Stakes on Dec. 18. Chantal Sutherland, who rode Fin for the first time in the Connie Ann, has been given the return call.

, a registered New York-bred despite being the product of a mating between the English-bred Labeeb and French-born Emily's Charm, takes a considerable drop in class after making her last start in the Grade 2 Long Island Handicap at Aqueduct. Little Buttercup set the pace for more than a mile before finishing last in the Long Island, although she was beaten only six lengths by the winner, the Motion-trained Olaya.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, who has already won 11 races at the meet, Little Buttercup returns to Calder for the first time since she finished fourth under third-level allowance conditions here last December.

Keep Cool, a two-time stakes winner here this season, tops the nine-furlong Our Dear Peggy. His main competition will include Stormy Roman, Everything to Gain, and Final Prophecy.