Clyde's Image demands respect in Poker Stakes

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice . . . well, Clyde’s Image has fooled us twice already this spring. And after a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile and a third in the Grade 1 Turf Classic, it’d be foolish not to take Clyde’s Image seriously when he starts Sunday at Belmont Park in the Grade 3, $300,000 Poker Stakes.

Clyde’s Image was 46-1 in the Maker’s 46 at Keeneland and, despite beating everyone there save victorious Delta Prince, he was dismissed at 27-1 in the Turf Classic at Churchill Downs. There he tracked a moderate pace, surged to the front at the stretch call, and held a strong third of 13, beaten only by Bricks and Mortar, one of the best horses in North America right now, and Qurbaan, who had been third in the Maker’s 46.

Five-year-old Clyde’s Image had won a second-level allowance race at Gulfstream before his surprising showing in the Maker’s 46, and Tom Bush, who trains the gelding for Sullimar Stable, said these last two races didn’t come from nowhere. Clyde’s Image was graded stakes-placed as a 3-year-old of 2017 but was injured and didn’t start between February 2017 and October 2018.

“He had pretty nice form as a 3-year-old, but you never know if it’s going to transfer. He was injured, and you don’t know how they’re going to come back, but we’ve always thought very highly of him,” Bush said.

Clyde’s Image has worked three times over the Belmont turf since the Turf Classic and gets a jockey change to Javier Castellano. He’s drawn favorably in post 1 and his odds are coming way down Sunday, with Bush happy that rain fell late this week to at least somewhat soften a lightning-fast Belmont turf.

“He ran well when it was very firm at Gulfstream, but the wet is probably a plus for this horse,” said Bush.

Clyde’s Image is listed as the 7-2 morning-line second choice behind 3-1 Dr. Edgar, who’s drawn on the outside of a nine-horse field and figures to set the pace, tracked or pressed by Clyde’s Image. Dr. Edgar has thrived since returning from a long layoff last summer and joining the Barclay Tagg stable. He’s won four of his last six and comes off a pacesetting second-place finish over soft turf in the Grade Fort Marcy on May 4. Dr. Edgar’s speed is of the very manageable sort and if he and Clyde’s Image gallop along up front, the Poker could turn into a sprint to the finish between those two.

Trainer Christophe Clement entered a pair of capable New York-breds, Gucci Factor and Therapist, both of whom have excelled in one-turn Belmont turf races like the Poker.

Appropriately drawn next to Therapist is the Chad Brown-trained Ticonderoga, who appears entirely capable in body of winning a race like this but unable to get his head screwed on straight. Ticonderoga breezes like a graded-stakes-level performer – and has looked like one beating allowance-level rivals – but has finished no better than third in his last six graded stakes starts.

Krampus and Breaking the Rules were one-two three months ago in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf at Gulfstream, but each faltered in his most recent start. Hembree was cross-entered in a Laurel race on Saturday but runs in the Poker, trainer Mike Maker said. Master Merion completes the field.