Kertez, Tawny Port a strong duo for Clement in Pan American

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The Great Britain-bred Kertez and the Kentucky-bred Tawny Port appear to give trainer Christophe Clement a solid one-two combination in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Pan American Stakes scheduled for 1 1/2 miles on turf at Gulfstream Park.

Kertez, a 6-year-old by the Group 3-winning sire Intello, will be making his first start in the United States after being purchased out of the Arqana sale by Clement on behalf of Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, and West Point Thoroughbreds.

In France, Kertez was placed in multiple Group races before winning the listed Prix a Tempo at Saint-Cloud last September. He raced close to a pedestrian pace and dug in when passed along the inside in the stretch.

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Earlier in 2023, Kertez finished second to Simca Mille in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly. Simca Mille came out of that race to win a Group 1 marathon in Germany.

“For a 6-year-old, he’s amazingly green,” Clement said. “But he’s a lovely horse, very athletic, has good form. He did not win much, but he’s been very competitive against some good horses.”

Clement said he is using this race as a way to get Kertez to the Man o’ War at Aqueduct in May. In 2022, Clement won the Pan Am with Gufo off a layoff and that horse subsequently finished second in the Man o’ War.

Joel Rosario rides Kertez from post 2.

Tawny Port has a recency edge over his stablemate, having come off a layoff to run second, beaten a neck by Starting Over, in the Mac Diarmida here on March 2.

“Tawny Port ran a very game race,” Clement said. “I’m running him back a touch quick for him maybe, but I just though he ran such a good race at Gulfstream, he obviously likes Gulfstream and firm turf.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Tawny Port from post 6.

Starting Over, trained by Mike Maker, has run two solid races at this meet, finishing second to Francesco Clemente at odds of 41-1 in the Grade 3 William L. McKnight in January before running down Tawny Port to win the Mac Diarmida by a neck at 11-1.

Maker also entered Lucky Curlin, who he claimed for $50,000 out of a last-place finish in a one-mile race last out, and Street Ready, who was third for $50,000 claiming last out.

Harry Hood, Candidate, and Public Sector complete the field.

Orchid left wide open

R Calli Kim, who won the The Very One here on March 2, has been scratched from Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Orchid Stakes, run at 1 1/2 miles on the turf, which certainly opens the race up a bit from a betting perspective.

Clement has won the Orchid a record eight times, including last year with the German-bred Amazing Grace, who was making her first start in the U.S. She came into the race off a third in a Group 1 race in Germany the previous September.

Saturday, Clement sends out the French-bred La Mehana, who will be making her first U.S start after going 5 for 12 in France when conditioned by Jean-Claude Rouget. She finished third in the Group 1 Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp last September.

Clement bought La Mehana out of a sale in Deauville for LSU Stables and said “she’s a stayer.” Clement wasn’t expecting R Calli Kim or the Chad Brown-trained McKulick in the Orchid and was naturally happy that R Calli Kim withdrew.

La Mehana is 2 for 3 at 1 1/2 miles and will be ridden by Rosario from the rail.

McKulick won the Grade 2 Glens Falls at Saratoga and Grade 3 Waya at Aqueduct last year. She has not run since finishing last of 12 in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Brown is looking at this spot as a way to get her campaign started.

“It looks like she’s getting there,” Brown said. “She doesn’t have that many works, but she’s a light-framed filly that maintains her fitness. I think overworking her would not have benefited her.”

Surprisingly ran a dynamite second to Didia in the Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf at 1 1/16 miles and will stretch out to 1 1/2 miles for the first time Saturday.

“She’s a kind filly, generally pretty relaxed in her races. These longer races you can’t have one that’s headstrong, that usually doesn’t work,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Seems like she fits that profile.”

Anatolian, trained by Maker, comes into the race off a second to R Calli Kim in the The Very One.

Tower Bridge, trained by Cherie DeVaux, makes her stakes debut after a front-running allowance win over Turfway Park’s synthetic surface.

Creative Cairo and Viva La Red complete the field.

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