Clothes Fall Off scores in Correction Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Manny Franco may not be battling for leading rider at Aqueduct this winter, but don’t be surprised if he is next winter.

Franco gave Clothes Fall Off a terrific outside stalking trip as she scored a 1 1/2-length victory over odds-on favorite Paulassilverlining in Saturday’s $125,000 Correction Stakes. It was Franco’s seventh stakes win of the meet - and one of four wins he had on Saturday’s card - and comes six days after he guided Turco Bravo to an upset in the Stymie Stakes.

It was the first stakes victory for Clothes Fall Off, who set a track record for 5 1/2 furlongs (1:02.89) in her previous race over the inner track Jan. 14. Following that, she finished second to Dancing House in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel in February.

On Saturday, breaking from the outside post in a field of five, Clothes Fall Off broke outward at the start and was straightened out by Franco and guided into a stalking position, outside of the pacesetting Momameamaria.

Momameamaria, whom Franco had guided to a neck victory over Clothes Fall Off last December, ran an opening quarter in 23.01 seconds. Clothes Fall Off gradually crept up alongside Momameamaria approaching the quarter pole, took charge at the three-sixteenths pole, and bounded away for the victory.

Clothes Fall Off, a 4-year-old daughter of Daaher, completed the six furlongs in 1:10.68 and returned $8.50 as the second choice. Clothes Fall Off is owned by Cheyenne Stables, Southern Equine Stable, and Hat Creek Racing and is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin.

Franco said breaking from the outside helped him because he could survey what the competition was doing. Franco, who will finish the winter meet as the fourth-leading rider, said when he saw Momameamaria go to the lead and Paulassilverlining being taken back, “I used my filly a little bit to be second and made my move from there.”

Jose Ortiz, the leading rider at this meet, said he did not want to put Paulassilverlining on the lead after breaking from the rail. He said he felt the inside post got his filly beat.

“I think the 1 hole beat me today because they pinned me in there until the quarter pole,” he said. “My filly ran very big last time and came back and ran the same race. The filly that won is a good filly. Better post, better draw, I would have won.”