Fifty Five wins a close one in Mount Vernon Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Fifty Five kept her streak of New York-bred stakes victories alive, but just barely.

Fifty Five rallied five wide in the stretch under Javier Castellano and won a head-bobbing finish over a rail-skimming Classic Lady to win Thursday’s $100,000 Mount Vernon Stakes by a nose. Classic Lady was second by 1 1/4 lengths over War Canoe.

The win was the sixth straight New York-bred stakes victory for Fifty Five, a 6-year-old daughter of Get Stormy. The streak includes back-to-back wins in the John Hettinger, Ticonderoga, and Mount Vernon. Fifty Five has won nine stakes overall and is now 12 for 23 in her career.

Thursday’s victory did not come as easily as the toteboard suggested it might. Fifty Five, sent off the 1-2 favorite, was fifth early and had to rally five wide in the stretch after a half-mile run in 49.75 seconds. Turning for home, Classic Lady, under Joel Rosario, snuck through on the rail and got the jump on Fifty Five. It came down to a head bob that went Fifty Five’s way.

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The Mount Vernon was Fifty Five’s first start since she won the Ticonderoga on Oct. 19 at Belmont. She was scratched out of the Grade 3 Beaugay Stakes here June 3 due to a wrenched ankle.

“I didn’t want to rush her to be close to the pace so everybody chases me then she gets tired,” Castellano said. “I don’t want to change any style, let me [ride] her the way I always do. I know she always kicks and she has a powerful kick, and that’s what I was looking for today, and she did it.”

Fifty Five, trained by Chad Brown for Peter Brant, covered the mile in 1:36.45 and returned $3 as the favorite.

Despite the layoff and missing some training time due to the ankle issue and running a distance shorter than her best, Brown still expected Fifty Five to get the victory.

“She was supposed to win today, she got the job done,” Brown said. “Slow pace, mile, she still got up in time. I’m very grateful for the win. That photo could have went either way.”

Classic Lady was making her first start since Nov. 11 and first for trainer Christophe Clement, who was encouraged by the performance.

“She got beat, but she ran a good race,” said Clement, who could run Classic Lady back in the Dayattthespa Stakes for New York-breds who have not won a stakes on July 29 at Saratoga.

Clement also trained the fourth-place finisher, Munchkin Money, who made the 29th and final start of her career. She raced in foal to American Pharoah and finished her career with a record of 7-6-3 and earnings of $449,115. She is expected to be sold at auction in November.

“She had a great career, she’s a good mare, she’s good-looking, she’s in foal to a fun stallion, so she should be a popular mare,” Clement said.

Complexity returns a winner

Complexity, winner of the Grade 1 Champagne in 2018, made a successful 4-year-old debut Thursday at Belmont, winning a stakes-caliber allowance race by 2 1/4 lengths over Win Win Win.

Complexity raced four wide throughout under Jose Ortiz and pulled away in the lane, covering a mile in 1:34.44. He returned $7.10 as the second choice.

It was his first start since he finished fourth in the Grade 1 Malibu last December at Santa Anita.

“He ran great,” Brown said. “He was training very well, it was a pretty salty group. I thought he drew well, Jose gave him a great ride. It was so nice to see him back. He’s horse that always had a lot of ability but also had breaks in his career. He’s a nice horse, hopefully we can keep it going.”

Complexity was one of four wins on the card for Ortiz.