Plum Ali looks solid in winning Miss Grillo Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. - Plum Ali kept her perfect record intact with a facile 2 1/4-length victory in Sunday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park that establishes her as one of the favorites for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 6.

If she goes.

Trainer Christophe Clement, though happy with the victory, said he will closely monitor Plum Ali over the next four weeks to determine whether or not to run in the Breeders’ Cup.

“Obviously, you have to think about it; the problem with the Breeders’ Cup at that time of the year with a 2-year-old filly, some of them you can keep running every 30 days and some of them you cannot,” Clement said. “She’s not definite.”

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In the Miss Grillo, Plum Ali was coming back 27 days after winning the Mint Juvenile Fillies Turf at Kentucky Downs by 2 3/4 lengths. That race came in an 11-horse field where jockey Tyler Gaffalione bided his time before letting Plum Ali run. Plum Ali is now 3 for 3.

On Sunday, in a scratch-reduced field of five, jockey Jose Ortiz kept Plum Ali a bit closer to the pace as Caldee, under Javier Castellano, opened up a clear advantage through a modest half-mile in 48.06 seconds. Ortiz had Plum Ali within two lengths of the lead.

At the five-sixteenths pole, Ortiz got Plum Ali off the inside and into the clear. She took over at the quarter pole and with Ortiz keeping somewhat busy on the filly, Plum Ali edged away for the victory.

“I put her in the clear, I didn’t want to give the other horse a chance to get loose on me,” Ortiz said. “I’m not trying to be a hero, I was just trying to ride her like she was the best horse and she responded well.”

Plum Ali, a daughter of First Samurai owned by Michael Dubb, Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables, and Michael Caruso’s Bethlehem Stables, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.03 over ground labeled firm and returned $4.30 as the favorite.

“I think the ground is heavy today, she got a little bit tired late,” Ortiz said. ”She’s going to run big in the Breeders’ Cup. Hopefully, she stays healthy.”
Caldee held second by a nose over Editor at Large. Mashnee Girl and Director’s Cut completed the order of finish.

Lovestruck, who had a fever according to trainer Bill Mott, Freedomofthepress, who will be re-routed to a maiden race, and Batyah all scratched. Batyah is entered in Wednesday’s Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland.