Stonestreet Stables' Clairiere (Curlin), forced to check in tight quarters at the top of the stretch, found running room along the rail and knew just what to do with it, outbattling Malathaat (Curlin) and Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) in a stirring stretch duel before pulling away to win the GII Shuvee S. by 1 1/2 lengths Sunday at Saratoga. Caught four wide into the first turn, Clairiere was last behind moderate splits in the compact four-horse field. Malathaat was moving up on the outside as Crazy Beautiful took over the lead nearing the stretch and Clairiere was forced to steady while attempting to rally between those two foes. She found a seam to run through along the rail in upper stretch, putting away first Crazy Beautiful and then Malathaat before drawing away for her second straight Grade I triumph, completing the nine furlongs in 1:51.96.
“She broke really well. There wasn't a lot of room between the three-eighths and the quarter-pole and I just had to be there because they were going really slow,” said winning rider Joel Rosario. “She responded really well when I asked her. She was there for me. I was always looking to see where there was room to go and it looked like it opened up inside, and I just had to go with that. She did great.”
Clairiere was eclipsed by Malathaat last year, when the 3-year-old filly champion bested her in four meetings, but the Stonestreet homebred has now beaten her rival in back-to-back starts after just getting her head in front in the June 11 GI Ogden Phipps S. Clairiere, winner of last year's GII Rachel Alexandra S. and GI Cotillion S., opened the year with an optional-claiming score at Fair Grounds in March and was second behind Letruska (Super Saver) in the Apr. 23 GI Apple Blossom H. before winning her second Grade I in the Ogden Phipps.
“She kept excellent company from fall of her 2-year-old year and her whole 3-year-old year,” said winning trainer Steve Asmussen. “We sent her down to Stonestreet in Ocala to Ian Brennan off a fourth by three-quarters of a length in the [GI Breeders' Cup] Distaff. She got a little break. She went back in training down there and she came back in breezing more impressively than when she finished her 3-year-old year. I think her races have shown that.”
Of the rivalry with last year's GI Kentucky Oaks winner Malathaat, Asmussen said, “We were near Malathaat in the Oaks in the paddock and [could see] how much bigger Malathaat was. Then we're next to her in the paddock here today, it's [noticeable] how comparable we are physically.”
Clairiere will now be aimed at the Aug. 27 GI Personal Ensign S.
“The Personal Ensign was the reason to be here,” Asmussen said. “She ran two solid races last year at Saratoga and we expect better this year.”
Todd Pletcher admitted he had concerns about the way Malathaat was heading to the track Sunday.
“I was very concerned leaving the paddock,” Pletcher said. “She came in super quiet. I don't know if she reacted adversely to the heat. She's normally a very classy mare and not really animated, but she was dull. She seemed to stay dull on the post parade and, for a horse adding first-time blinkers, it was just a very dull performance all the way around. I've never seen her that quiet in the paddock before.”
Pletcher continued, “It was the trip we wanted. We decided to come out and show some initiative, but he [John Velazquez] had to hustle her even to do that. And then we were hoping Joel would tuck in–we were in exactly the spot we wanted to be in, Johnny just said she put in one tenth of her normal effort.”
Pedigree Notes:
Clairiere is the first foal out of Cavorting, who recorded Saratoga victories in the 2015 GI Test S. and 2016 GI Personal Ensign S. The mare's second foal is stakes winner La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro). She has an unraced 2-year-old colt by Curlin named Judge Miller who was purchased for $550,000 by Muir Hut Stables at last year's Keeneland September sale. Barren to Quality Road in 2021, she was bred to Into Mischief this year.
Clairiere's second dam, Promenade Girl, who was twice Grade I placed, died this year. She left an Into Mischief weanling colt and an unraced 2-year-old colt by West Coast named East Side who worked four furlongs at Belmont Saturday in :48.47 (29/79).
Sunday, Saratoga
SHUVEE S.-GII, $186,000, Saratoga, 7-24, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:51.96, ft.
1–CLAIRIERE, 124, f, 4, by Curlin
1st Dam: Cavorting (MGISW, $2,063,000), by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Promenade Girl, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Promenade Colony, by Pleasant Colony
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Joel Rosario. $110,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 14-6-4-2, $1,909,592. *1/2 to La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro), SW, $159,460. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
2–Malathaat, 124, f, 4, Curlin–Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy. ($1,050,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Shadwell Stable; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. $40,000.
3–Crazy Beautiful, 124, f, 4, Liam's Map–Indian Burn, by Indian Charlie. ($250,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Phoenix Thoroughbred III; B-Carolyn R Vogel (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $24,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 3/4, 15HF. Odds: 1.50, 0.60, 8.80.
Also Ran: Exotic West.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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