Tap the Faith Faces Pletcher Duo in Demoiselle

The Road to the Kentucky Oaks runs through New York Dec. 4 when Aqueduct Racetrack hosts the $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes (G2) for 2-year-old fillies. The 1 1/8-mile dirt race offers qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 scale toward next spring's Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Manzanita Stables' Tap the Faith  makes her stakes debut. Trained by Christophe Clement, the Tapit   filly broke her maiden in convincing fashion at Belmont Park when she went from last to first with an inside rally to win by a head. Purchased for $1.25 million by Claiborne Farm, agent, from the Bluewater Sales consignment at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, she is out of 2015 Alabama Stakes (G1) winner Embellish the Lace  (Super Saver ). 

"She is very well bred, so it's very exciting for us. She won well her first time out," Clement said.

Now that's how you win a debut! The $1.25m @Chinahorseclub-bred Tap The Faith comes from last to first to score in her first start for @clementstable. She was the fourth most expensive filly at @keenelandsales Sept last year when @claibornefarm purchased her from our consignment! pic.twitter.com/yKSypWsIaA

— Bluewater Sales (@BluewaterSales) November 7, 2021

Tap the Faith has breezed back twice since her winning debut, including an easy five-eighths in 1:03.21 Nov. 27. 

"I'm running back a little bit quick in the Demoiselle, but she's been working too well so I've got to go," Clement said. "She's sound and she looks good. I would have liked an extra week or two, but that's the way it goes. She'll get a rest after this."

Joel Rosario is aboard from post 6.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher runs a pair: Nest  and Miss Interpret . Pletcher has won the Demoiselle six times, all since 2001, most recently with Malathaat  in 2020. Malathaat took this year's Kentucky Oaks.

A Curlin   filly, Nest is owned by Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House. She is out of the stakes-winning A.P. Indy  mare Marion Ravenwood , making her a full sister to grade 1 winner Idol . 

"She should love the mile and an eighth. She had a good work on Saturday morning so she's right on course," Pletcher said. "She will appreciate the stretch out in distance."

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides from post 5.

StarLadies Racing and Glen Hill Farm's Miss Interpret  will break in post 1 under Luis Saez. The Street Sense   2-year-old rallied to win the $120,000 P. G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga Race Course earlier in the year by 1 1/2 lengths. 

Magic Circle , owned by J.W. Singer, finished a neck in front of Nest when second in the one-mile Tempted Stakes last out. The Kantharos   filly will be ridden by Manuel Franco in her first two-turn attempt. 

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez seemed confident in the added distance, saying, "She's a big filly and I don't think it will be a problem for her to stretch out another eighth of a mile, but you don't know until they do it. Hopefully, she's good enough." 

The entire field is comprised of Kentucky-bred fillies, except for one: New York-bred Venti Valentine . Trained by Jorge Abreu, the Firing Line   2-year-old will race under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. Owned by NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds, she will seek to improve to 3-for-3 when stepping into open company. 

Entries: Demoiselle S. (G2)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, December 04, 2021, Race 9

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 3:43 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Miss Interpret (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Todd A. Pletcher	10/1
2	2Golden Essence (KY)	Dexter Haddock	118	Uriah St. Lewis	30/1
3	3Venti Valentine (NY)	John R. Velazquez	120	Jorge R. Abreu	5/1
4	4Nostalgic (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	William I. Mott	6/1
5	5Nest (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Todd A. Pletcher	2/1
6	6Tap the Faith (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	Christophe Clement	3/1
7	7Magic Circle (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	Rudy R. Rodriguez	7/2
8	8Full Count Felicia (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Chad Summers	30/1