Just a Game Stakes: Coffee Clique wins again in a photo

ELMONT, N.Y. - In her last outing, Coffee Clique rallied to score a narrow victory in a graded stakes. This time, the roles were reversed, as she found herself attempting to hold off a charging foe. The result was the same, however, as Coffee Clique, with another well-played ride from Javier Castellano, edged Strathnaver in a photo to take the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes for fillies and mares on the turf Saturday at Belmont Park.

It was the second consecutive graded stakes victory, and third straight overall, for Coffee Clique, who scored in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard with a rail-skimming ride from Castellano. Overall, she has now won six of 11 career starts, and nearly doubled her earnings, to $817,488, with the win.

“A Grade 1 absolutely is the pinnacle for her,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “She's a homebred, which makes that family so valuable, and she's just such a courageous filly. Just thrilled to see her dog it out like she did.

"It's a world title match to be here today, to compete against this competition,” Lynch continued. “But as I've always said, winning form is good form. She had won two in a row, she fit here today, and she ran like she belonged. God bless her."

Multiple graded winner Somali Lemonade, who has found new life this year since adding blinkers, was fairly unpressured on the lead as she took the field through brisk opening splits. Meanwhile, Castellano settled Coffee Clique back in fourth behind the first flight early.

Grade 1 winner Discreet Marq engaged Somali Lemonade in upper stretch, but Coffee Clique, who was rallying five wide, arrived boldly at the eighth pole as a serious threat and seized the lead inside the final hundred yards. Strathnaver, who had been next to last early, came flying down the center, but Coffee Clique held on to win by a nose, stopping the clock in 1:32.52 for the mile.

“I had a beautiful trip; it set up perfectly. I had a perfect spot in the race, exactly what I was looking for,” Castellano said. “Three horses went out for the lead and I was covered up all the way in the race. When my filly took off, she came with a big run."

Somali Lemonade held third over Discreet Marq.

"I'd feel a little bit better if that wasn't such a tough beat,” Graham Motion, trainer of Strathnaver said. “I told Mike not to rush her, and I wouldn't second guess him if he waited too long to move. She ran a great race, and he gave her a great ride.”