Ozara deals with tough competition again in Chelsey Flower

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – If you’re judged by the company you keep then Ozara should be highly regarded when she heads a full field of 2-year-old fillies entered to run 1 1/16 miles on turf in Friday’s $135,000 Chelsey Flower Stakes at Aqueduct.

Ozara, a daughter of Lope de Vega trained by Christophe Clement for Cheyenne Stables, has run twice, winning a maiden turf race going 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga and finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Natalma at Woodbine.

In her maiden win, Ozara beat three horses who came back to win their next starts. In the Natalma, Ozara finished a well-beaten fourth behind She Feels Pretty, one of five horses to come out of the Natalma and win their next starts, three in stakes.

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Speaking of Ozara’s effort in the Natalma, Clement said, “She moved a touch early and flattened out, but she ran well. She’s been training well.

Lacking a turf stakes option in Kentucky, trainer Al Stall has shipped in Gavea for the Chelsey Flower. A German-bred daughter of Gleneagles, Gavea won her debut at Chantilly in France on July 16, a race from which three of the six horses she defeated have come back to win

After that race, Gavea was purchased privately by Paul Varga’s Bal Mar Equine – the same owner that campaigned Grade 1 winner Dalika with Stall.

On Sept 29, at Churchill, Gavea won a one-mile allowance race, holding off the late-running Mo Fox Givin by a head, while the pair finished four lengths clear of the rest of the field.

“She was a little spotty going one turn to two turns,” Stall said, adding that jockey Tyler Gaffalione “liked her. She got lost out there when the speed got away from her and she was in a gap by herself. When [Mo Fox Givin] came up to her she carried her to the wire.”

Jose Ortiz rides Gavea from post 10.

Trainer Chad Brown has won five of the first 11 runnings of the Chelsey Flower. Friday, he sends out the maiden Latte Lizzie, who finished third on debut at Saratoga and third again in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 10.

“I thought she ran quite well. She was a little unsure of herself during the race,” Brown said. “Getting her back on a flat course will be nice.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides from post 8.

The owner/trainer duo of Barry Schwartz and Horacio De Paz have the uncoupled but potentially complimentary entry of Red Burgundy and Awesome Czech in the Chelsey Flower.

Red Burgundy, who is drawn on the rail, is coming off a front-running maiden score when stretched out to this 1 1/16-mile distance for the first time after two sprint tries. She also won that race with blinkers added.

Awesome Czech comes off a one-length maiden score when stretched out in distance and put on turf for the first time on Sept. 15.

Tricky Temper, second in the off-the-turf Matron, Gold Lightning, sixth in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo, Living Magic, Cynane, and Flowers for Me are in the body of the field, which is limited to 10.

Takemetothebeach, Being Betty, and Day Away, in order, are on the also eligible list.

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