Francesco Clemente does it the hard way in William L. McKnight

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - In discussing Francesco Clemente with owner Peter Brant earlier in the week, trainer Chad Brown told him if the horse can improve some and stay healthy he could be a Breeders’ Cup-level horse at year’s end.

Francesco Clemente did nothing to dispel that belief Saturday at Gulfstream Park, rallying from next to last under Irad Ortiz Jr. while forced seven wide in the lane to win Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 William McKnight Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths .

Longshot Starting Over edged the game pacesetter F Five for second by a neck. It was another neck back to Cellist in fourth.

The win was the second from four starts in the U.S. for Francesco Clemente, a 5-year-old Irish-bred son of Dubawi who began his career in England in the barn of John and Thady Gosden.

Francesco Clemente has a tendency to break slow and on a typically speed-favoring Gulfstream turf course, that isn’t ideal. But the McKnight did have a solid enough pace with F Five, under Luis Saez, setting fractions of 23.88 seconds for the quarter, 47.99 for the half, and 1:12.10 for six furlongs with Cellist, under Martin Garcia, pressing him.

Ortiz was able to save ground on the first and second turn before launching a wide bid entering the third turn. Francesco Clemente was able to sustain that bid for a good three furlongs and won going away at the finish.

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“He has ability man,” said Ortiz, who was winning his fourth race on the program. “He had everything against him and he still win easy and open up at the end. He missed the break, tight turns, short stretch, and he still got there. He made it look easy. I think he had plenty of ability.”

Francesco Clemente (101 Beyer Speed Figure) covered the 1 1/2 miles over firm turf in 2:22.64 and returned $6.40 as the favorite.

Brown said Ortiz really didn’t have a choice but to go wide in the stretch.

“He was able to lose significant ground on the last turn because he hugged the rail on the first two and he was good enough,” Brown said. “Irad used good judgment to go ahead when he did because the alternative would have been a bunch of [tired] horses stopping in front of him.”

Alpha Bella wires La Prevoyante

Winless in six stakes tries from a mile to nine furlongs, Alpha Bella made a successful marathon debut Saturday at Gulfstream Park, taking the Grade 3, $150,000 La Prevoyante going 1 1/2 miles by a half-length over R Calli Kim.

Put on the front the start by Luis Saez, Alpha Bella got into a comfortable rhythm and maintained a measured lead over Tass through splits of 24.25 seconds for the quarter, 49.03 for the half, 1:13.19 for six furlongs, and 1:37.47 for mile. Alpha Bella came into the stretch with a clear margin and was able to hold off a rail-rallying R Calli Kim to get the victory.

Jose Ortiz, the rider of R Calli Kim, claimed foul against Saez and Alpha Bella for bumping in the stretch, but the stewards dismissed the claim. While Alpha Bella came in a step, R Calli Kim came out and bumped Alpha Bella twice.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said he was optimistic that Alpha Bella would be able to handle the 1 1/2 miles of the La Prevoyante and he took the blinkers off the filly in order to help her to relax.

“I had a good feeling about it,” Pletcher said. “I thought the pace scenario was favorable; that was our strategy to try to get to the front the right way. Luis was able to execute the plan well.”

R Calli Kim, who brought a four-race winning streak into the La Prevoyante, sat a pocket third all the way around the course. She made a bid along the inside, but couldn’t get by Alpha Bella. Ortiz said the contact between R Calli Kim and Alpha Bella may have impacted her finish.

“It stopped my momentum a little bit for sure,” Ortiz said. “The rail was wide open, he came over and made it very tight.”

Saez said he felt he was clear.

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“I was in my lane,” Saez said. “It seemed like [Ortiz] on the inside tried to look for the foul. I was clear.”

Alpha Bella, a 4-year-old daughter of Justify owned by Carlos Solari’s Don Alberto Stable, covered the 1 1/2 miles over firm ground in 2:24.25 and returned $19.20. Alpha Bella was given a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

The biggest disappointment in the race was Romagna Mia, the 3-5 favorite coming off two stakes wins who finished fifth, beaten six lengths.

“She just didn’t seem to run her race at all, she doesn’t seem like she’s right,” trainer Graham Motion said. “She never really picked it up, not quite sure what to make of it. Frustrating.”

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