Lady Edith Leads Clement 1-2 Finish in Floral Park
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coglianese Photos
Lady Edith wins the Floral Park Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Abbondanza Racing and Omar Aldabbagh’s Lady Edith led a Christophe Clement-trained exacta with a three-length score under Joel Rosario in the fifth running of the $150,000 Floral Park Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.
A 4-year-old daughter of Street Boss , Lady Edith scored the first victory for her conditioner since being transferred to his care this spring.
Away well from the inside post, Lady Edith settled in third behind stablemate Too Sexy and Can't Buy Love as those two fought for the lead. Lady Edith continued to track behind an opening quarter of :23.16 and a half-mile in :47.37 before being given her cue by Rosario in the turn and streaking by Too Sexy down the lane.
Lady Edith stopped the timer in 1:10.64 for the six furlongs on a firm turf course.
Too Sexy stayed on to secure second by four lengths over Can’t Buy Love.
Clement said both of his fillies relished stretching out to six furlongs after they each ran off the board last out in the 5 1/2-furlong Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
“They both like six better than five-and-a-half. It’s a big difference,” said Clement. “Six is not the same kind of race where they jump off and go. That was a slow pace today and they finished well. They both seemed to respond to that better.”
Rosario said Lady Edith was keen to make the lead on the turn.
“It looked like they were slowing down a little bit in front. She was a little bit difficult around the turn when I was just trying to hold her a little bit,” said Rosario. “It looked like she was the best in the race and she put me right there where I wanted to be. It was perfect.
“She had a nice cruising speed and kept moving forward.”
Clement praised Too Sexy’s runner-up effort.
“She ran very well—second best. I told (Dylan Davis) to break and be comfortable,” said Clement. “They went slow in :47 the first half and finished better. She ran well but the other filly was better today.”
Clement added that both fillies will target the $150,000 Autumn Days Stakes Nov. 27 at the Big A.
Bred in Kentucky by J. David Richardson and Sandra New, Lady Edith returned $2.90 as the favorite and earned $82,500, boosting her total earnings to $333,482. The Floral Park was her third stakes victory, having collected the Wishing Well Stakes this past January and 2021 Mamzelle Overnight Stakes for her previous connections.
Out of the stakes-winning Yankee Gentleman mare Lady Grantham, Lady Edith was purchased by Abbondanza/Omar Aldabbagh for $370,000 at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February Mixed Sale from the Hermitage Farm consignment.