Fresco adds to Clement's early meet haul with win in Statue of Liberty Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Christophe Clement continued his torrid start to the 2020 Saratoga meet, winning three more races on Thursday, including the $100,000 Statue of Liberty division of the New York Stallion Series for 3-year-old fillies with the maiden Fresco.

Receiving a patient ride from Irad Ortiz Jr., Fresco ran by pace-setting Dixie Cannon inside the eighth pole to win the Statue of Liberty by 1 3/4 lengths. Dixie Cannon finished second by four lengths over Nicky Scissors.

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Despite being winless in three career starts, Fresco was sent off the 1-2 favorite in the field of six and returned $3 after running 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.43 over turf listed as firm despite Wednesday evening rain.

“Great job by Irad,”Clement said. “He took her back, saved ground. They did not finish that fast, but he did the right thing, which was to save something for the end.”

Fresco, a daughter of Freud, is owned and bred by Dick Leahy’s Oak Bluff Stable.

Clement won two other races on Thursday’s card to record his second three-win day from the last three Saratoga programs. In race 6, Clement won a 2-year-old maiden turf race at 1 1/16 miles with Plum Ali, who rallied strongly down the center of the Saratoga turf course to win by two lengths. Clement also sent out Mo Normal, who finished fourth as the slight 5-2 favorite.

In race 8, Clement won an allowance race with the 4-year-old French-bred filly Simplicity, who in her U.S. debut under Joel Rosario got up by a neck over Joyous Times.

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These are definitely joyous times for Clement, who counts graded stakes winners Decorated Invader and Speaktomeofsummer as part of his meet-best nine winners through six cards.

Clement has been coming to Saratoga since 1992. He has had only two better meets than this one - 15 wins in 2015 and 13 wins in 2019 - and we’re only through six cards.

“Every day of the year when we start from the beginning to the end we all hope to win,” Clement said. “It’s just working out and clicking at the right time and the right place. I’ve been training for quite a while. I’ve been a lucky guy. This is great - it happens that way. I probably won’t be winning next week. . . . I’m very much enjoying it.”