Bellezza Leads Clement Trio in 1 1/2-Mile Glen Falls

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown may have the deepest lineup of high-quality turf females over short and middle-distance routes, but trainer Miguel Clement is loaded in the long-distance female turf category.

Clement, who took over head training duties from his father Christophe following the latter's death May 25, trains three of the eight grass entries in the July 27 Glen Falls Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course. His starters in the 1 1/2-mile, $250,000 grass race include race favorites Bellezza  and La Mehana , plus longshot Sacaya .

With a possibility of rain in the Sunday forecast, there is an additional main-track-only entrant in Sunday's race:  the Domenick Schettino-trained Berniestakecharge.

Moyglare Stud Farm's homebred Bellezza stretches out and drops in class after finishing third in the 1 1/4-mile New York Stakes (G1T) June 6. The 4-year-old Siyouni  bay stalked the pace on yielding turf and ran evenly in losing by 4 1/2 lengths to She Feels Pretty , arguably the top female grass horse in the country. 

"She ran respectable. The ground was perhaps not what she cared for," Clement said of Bellezza. "Nevertheless, she was able to get grade 1 black type. She is a very good filly. She is exciting, training well here, based here, and this race is a logical next step." 

Bellezza previously won the 1 3/8-mile Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G3T) at Aqueduct Racetrack in her United States debut when trained by Christophe Clement. Previously, she had made seven prior starts in her native Ireland for conditioner Ger Lyons, two of them at 1 1/2 miles or longer. 

"She stays, without a doubt," Miguel Clement said. 

LSU Stables' La Mehana also makes her second start for Miguel, coming off an allowance optional claiming victory at Aqueduct June 27. Earlier in her career, she won the 2024 Waya Stakes (G3T) at 1 3/8 miles and the ungraded Via Borghese Stakes at the same distance.

Adelphi Racing Club, Steven Rocco, and Winters Equine's French-bred Sacaya lacks the sharp form of her stablemates, having been off the board in her last five starts, with two of them in the U.S. She was a stakes winner last year in France.

The principal threats to the Clement trio are Bridlewood Farm and Madaket Stables' No Show Sammy Jo, second last-out to La Mehana, and Chris Nolan's Long Ago, who ran third in the Anchorage Stakes in her most recent start June 29 at Churchill Downs after being claimed there for $80,000. Graham Motion trains No Show Sammy Jo and Billy Morey conditions Long Ago.

FOX Sports will provide on-site television coverage of the Glen Falls on FS2. The program will also be streamed on YouTube.