Escape Clause takes on Mylady Curlin in Lady Jacqueline Stakes

The talents of Manitoba-bred sensation Escape Clause have taken her far beyond the place of her birth. In the last year, the mare has competed in five U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, and won a graded stakes in California and placed in a Grade 1 in Arkansas.

Her travels now take her to Ohio for Saturday’s $200,000 Lady Jacqueline Stakes, where she will face fellow graded winner Mylady Curlin in one of Thistledown’s biggest events of the season.

Escape Clause, a 5-year-old Going Commando mare who is owned by her trainer Don Schnell, Barry Arnason, and True North, sports a career record of 33-20-5-3 with earnings of $836,500 entering Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile race. She owns 18 stakes wins – most of those coming early in her career at Assiniboia Downs in Manitoba, which produces less than 1 percent of the annual North American registered foal crop, according to statistics provided by The Jockey Club.

She gained prominence last year by winning nine straight races – at Assiniboia, Canterbury Park in Minnesota, Century Downs and Northlands Park in Alberta, and Del Mar, where she was awarded the win via disqualification in the Kathryn Crosby Stakes in November. Escape Clause then finished third in her graded stakes debut, the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap at Del Mar.

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This season, Escape Clause sports a pair of stakes victories against open company, winning the Grade 3 La Canada at Santa Anita and rolling by 7 1/4 lengths in the Harry Henson Handicap at Sunland Park. In her Grade 1 debut, the mare led into the stretch of the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park before being outdueled a nose by Midnight Bisou, the current divisional leader. Another multiple Grade 1 winner, Elate, finished third.

After finishing fourth behind Midnight Bisou in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont, Escape Clause finished second to Elate in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap, beaten 4 1/2 lengths while besting yet another Grade 1 winner, Blue Prize, by a head.

Tyler Baze, aboard the mare for all her graded stakes outings, will be at Thistledown to ride Escape Clause. The pair drew the inside post, which will allow Escape Clause to use her typical speed.

Mylady Curlin, who will have Shaun Bridgmohan in the irons, has put together a 6-4-1-1 record this season, all for trainer Brad Cox. Those four wins have come in succession, and in four different states. Mylady Curlin began to come around in the spring, winning allowance events at Oaklawn and Keeneland. In her two most recent outings, the filly won the Grade 3 Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes at Pimlico, then took the Mari Hulman George Memorial Stakes at Indiana.

Gotham Gala won the Obeah Stakes, the Delaware Park prep for the Delaware Handicap, before finishing fourth in the Delaware Handicap, nine lengths behind Elate. The nine-horse field for the Lady Jacqueline also includes Crafty’s Dream, stakes-placed at Laurel this year, and Viva Forever, stakes-placed at Gulfstream in February.