Clothes Fall Off drops into softer spot

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin won the Grade 2 Prioress with Cavorting, but his other entrant in that race, Clothes Fall Off, didn’t run as badly as her seventh-place finish might suggest.

On Sunday, Clothes Fall Off takes a significant drop in class when she runs against five rivals in a $77,000, first-level allowance on Belmont Park’s nine-race card. The race is scheduled for six furlongs on dirt.

In the Prioress, Clothes Fall Off was racing with Cavorting behind a four-horse speed duel down the backstretch. Cavorting went to the outside while Clothes Fall Off tried to rally along the rail. Inside the three-sixteenths pole, she was stopped cold, and jockey Jose Ortiz had to steady the filly sharply. Her race was done at that point, and she trudged home seventh, beaten 9 3/4 lengths.

“I don’t blame the jockey,” McLaughlin said. “We were trying to hit the board. She would have hit the board if she got through. We took a shot. Now, we’re back in a non-winners-of-one.”

Joel Rosario rides Clothes Fall Off from post 2.

The competition includes True Romance, who makes her first start since Feb. 21, when she finished ninth in a sprint stakes on turf at Gulfstream Park. She wrenched an ankle in that race, according to trainer Tim Hills.

Fair Point, who had an ankle injury of her own earlier this year, came off a nine-month layoff to win a maiden race at Saratoga for trainer Shug McGaughey.

Paris Bikini, Predicate, and Equilateral complete the field.

KEY CONTENDERS

Clothes Fall Off (Last 3 Beyers: 75-83-71)

◗ After winning her debut in the slop at Saratoga in August 2014, Clothes Fall Off didn’t race again until May and has finished second in three consecutive first-level allowance races, including a nose loss to Paid Up Subscriber at Saratoga in July.

“We broke from the 10 hole, and I think we ran 35 feet farther than the winner, who had a dream trip,” McLaughlin said.

True Romance (Last 3 Beyers: 72-82-79)

◗ Has a steady work tab dating back to mid-August after being laid off several months for an ankle injury.

◗ Returns to Belmont Park, where as a 3-year-old last fall she won a six-furlong maiden race by 8 1/2 lengths after finishing second, beaten a head, in her debut, which was at this 6 1/2-furlong distance.

◗ Joe Bravo rides.

“Since she’s come back, she’s trained extremely well,” Hills said. “The only thing that concerns me is the 6 1/2. That got her beat the first time she ran. It’ll be up to Bravo to get that extra sixteenth.”

Fair Point (Last 3 Beyers: 76-75-57)

◗ Took advantage of a hot pace and came with a strong late run to win a maiden race going 6 1/2 furlongs in her first start off a nine-month layoff.

◗ McGaughey noted that her last two races were her best, and both came after she had blinkers added to her equipment.