Miss World wins three in a row in Garden City

ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Christophe Clement readily admits it took him too long to figure out what Miss World really wanted to do. But since Clement came to the realization that the 3-year-old filly wants to go long on turf, it didn't take Miss World long to become a Grade 1 winner.

Flashing a strong of turn of foot in the stretch and taking advantage of a horrendous start by the odds-on favorite, Gozzip Girl, Miss World powered home to a 1 3/4-length victory in Saturday's at Belmont Park.

The pace-setting Shared Account finished second, two lengths ahead of Keertana, who stalked Shared Account most of the way. Gozzip Girl, the 2-5 favorite who nearly went down around the first turn under Kent Desormeaux, had to settle for fourth.

It was the third straight victory for Miss World since Clement stretched her out in distance on the turf in July. Prior to that, Miss World had lost her first five starts, running in sprints on dirt and turf.

"I got it wrong," Clement said after the race. "I really ran her too short. It took me a while to understand the filly. Because she trained so well, I thought she had more speed than she had. In fact, she will stay."

She certainly stayed in the Garden City. With Cornelio Velasquez subbing for an ill Garrett Gomez, Miss World raced three wide into the first turn and in seventh position about five lengths off the pace established by Shared Account, who carved out pedestrian fractions of 26.24 seconds and 52.22 for the opening half-mile.

Gozzip Girl, who figured to show speed, broke slowly and stumbled badly entering the first turn, basically eliminating her from contention. She then stumbled while in tight around the clubhouse turn.

Meanwhile, Velasquez kept a firm hold of Miss World, before launching a bid approaching the quarter pole. She powered past Shared Account and Keertana inside the sixteenth pole and edged clear late. Miss World, a daughter of Bernstein owned by Paul Fudge's Waratah Thoroughbreds, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:53.5 over a soft inner turf course and returned $29.

"She was three or four wide all the way," Clement said. "I don't think she had a great trip, it's just she was the best horse today."

Gozzip Girl had won four consecutive turf stakes, including the Grade 1 American Oaks at Hollywood Park on July 5. Desormeaux said she was acting up a little in the gate, which caused her to miss the break. She was doomed from there.

"She was pitching a little bit in the gate from being fresh," Desormeaux said. "I missed the start. I was no longer in the driver's seat; the race was being dictated by the field. I couldn't do anything."

Regarding the incident in the first turn, Desormeaux said, "They were going too slow. I was running over the top of them."

Clement said he would consider running Miss World back in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 17.