Clement's Trio to Contend for Soaring Softly Stakes
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Photo: Michael Burns
Derrynane wins the 2021 Woodbine Cares Stakes at Woodbine
Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle a trio of formidable contenders in Derrynane , Breeze Easy , and Anador in the May 28 $100,000 Soaring Softly Stakes (G3), a seven-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies over the Widener turf, at Belmont Park.
Waterville Lake Stables' Derrynane, a New York homebred by Quality Road out of the graded stakes-placed, stakes-winning Hard Spun mare Portmagee , enters from a narrow neck defeat to Ruthin in the 5 1/2-furlong TVG Limestone Stakes April 15 over good Keeneland turf.
Derrynane, who has yet to travel beyond 5 1/2 furlongs through five career starts, graduated at first asking against fellow state-breds in July at Saratoga Race Course. She captured the Woodbine Cares Stakes two starts later in September over the inner turf ahead of a rallying fourth, defeated a length by Twilight Gleaming in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T) in November at Del Mar.
"I thought her race at Keeneland was very impressive. She got beat but she was very game and willing. She finished well to the end. It will be interesting to see if we can stretch her out a bit," said Clement.
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and R A Hill Stable's Breeze Easy, a daughter of Bated Breath , launched her career in England for trainer David Evans, breaking her maiden in August at Carlisle Racecourse.
The dual stakes-placed filly finished third in the six-furlong Coral Beaten-By-A-Length Free Bet Rockingham Stakes Oct. 9 at York Racecourse and second in the Galloping To Give 10 Years With A Transplant Radley Stakes over seven furlongs Oct. 23 at Newbury Racecourse before being purchased for $349,534 at the 2021 Tattersalls December Mares Sale.
Breeze Easy wintered with Clement at Payson Park in Florida and has breezed regularly in company with Derrynane, including a May 13 effort over the Belmont inner turf in :50.34.
"Breeze Easy is training very well," Clement said. "They are perfect together. They finish well, they're willing, and they stick together. They're a good team."
Completing the Clement troika is Tony Weintraub, Tango Uniform Racing, and Brandon Dalinka's Anador, who enters from a strong second-place finish in a one-mile allowance optional claimer April 21 over firm Gulfstream Park turf.
The Anodin chestnut launched her career in her native France with Frederic Head before joining Clement in the fall and graduating in October traveling one mile over good Belmont turf. She finished fifth, defeated two lengths, in her stakes debut in the 1 1/16-mile Tepin Stakes in November at Aqueduct to close out her juvenile campaign.
Other contenders include Haughty , Chardy Party , Ouraika , Sail By , Wonka , Champagne Poetry , Lost My Sock , Snow Loves a Fight , and Wish You Well . Baby Man , who would add blinkers, is entered for the main track only.
Belmont Park, Saturday, May 28, 2022, Race 9Entries: Soaring Softly S. (G3T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Champagne Poetry (KY)
Luis Saez
118
Chad Summers
30/1
2
2Breeze Easy (GB)
Javier Castellano
118
Christophe Clement
10/1
3
3Lost My Sock (KY)
Dylan Davis
118
Derek S. Ryan
15/1
4
4Wish You Well (KY)
John R. Velazquez
118
George Weaver
12/1
5
5Anador (FR)
Eric Cancel
118
Christophe Clement
20/1
6
6Snow Loves a Fight (FL)
Trevor McCarthy
118
Orlando Noda
20/1
7
7Wonka (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
118
William I. Mott
8/1
8
8Haughty (KY)
Flavien Prat
118
Chad C. Brown
5/2
9
9Derrynane (NY)
Joel Rosario
120
Christophe Clement
7/2
10
10Sail By (KY)
Jose Lezcano
123
Leah Gyarmati
15/1
11
11Ouraika (FR)
Manuel Franco
123
H. Graham Motion
15/1
12
12Chardy Party (IRE)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
118
Wesley A. Ward
9/2
13
13Baby Man (KY)
Rider TBA
118
Rudy R. Rodriguez
4/1
