San Clemente Stakes (Grade 2)- $200.000 Purse
DMR- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile on the Turf
July 20, 2019

The San Clemente Stakes will be running for the 17th time on Saturday, and it attracts a field of five fillies to go a mile on the grass. That’s been a consistent number of entries, as every year since 2014 has had five or less go to the gate for the race. The winner last year was Nancy Broom Moytoy, for Team 7 Illusions, a filly that is still running well now. This field doesn’t have that one horse to be the headliner, but there is a lot of quality in here, and horses that simply know how to win, let’s meet them!

#1- Up And Good (Joshua Stables, ridden by F Prat)- This filly will make her graded stake debut after experience success in PA-bred stakes. She never won one of them, but was within a length of victory a couple times. Recently, she was moved to the grass, and won an optional claimer at PRX in her last start two months ago while only carrying 113 pounds. Her experience in PA could help her out here, but she does not seem to be the favorite.

#2- Lit Up By The French (Mb Stables, ridden by E Maldonado)- Going a mile on the grass has become her speciality, and with her prior trainer, Maxmillion Farm, she rolled off a four race winning streak. However, that was against softer competition. Mb Stables acquired her in May for $85.000 in private sales, and had a successful Honeymoon with his new purchase, taking that Grade 3 at SA. She’s my second choice in here.

#3- Mistique (Aer Stables, ridden by Ru Fuentes)- So far in her career, this Cherokee Desires filly has won three of seven races, as well as hitting the board on two other occasions. Two months ago, she picked up her biggest victory, coming at seven furlongs in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly. Unfortunately, she did not follow that up all that well in the Dance Smartly, which had her going ten furlongs, and fatiguing late. She’ll be happy to be done here after a full mile.

#4- Angel Shark (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by G Franco)- She’ll be looking for her fourth win in a row here in the San Clemente, doing everything that her trainer is asking of her. She used to be a sprinter, and the streak did begin with a five furlong race. However, once she starting going longer, she SRF’s have increased into the mid to upper 90’s, and that includes a win in the Grade 3 Eatontown at MTH last month. If she runs like that again, she won’t be beat in here.

#5- Sierra Madre (Arindel, ridden by K J Desormeaux)- With five wins in nine starts, this filly knows how to get to the winners circle after a race. Throw out an off track dud, and that number becomes more impressive. Those wins were at lower levels, but she has earned this chance to take on stake competition. She’s been a sprinter, though, and only once has she run at least a mile, and you have to go back nine months for that. No public works exist over six furlongs, so it’s tough to have a feel for her.

Prediction: 4-2-3-1

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES