Paige Seeks First Graded Score in La Prevoyante

Four weeks after hitting the wire less than a length apart in the Via Borghese, the top trio of Paige, Desiree Clary, and Flipcup will meet up again Jan. 28 in the $200,000 La Prevoyante Handicap (G3T) at Gulfstream Park.

The 1 1/2-mile La Prevoyante is among the six supporting stakes on the undercard of the inaugural $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), the world's richest horse race.

Jim Wells and Cheyenne Stables' Paige, a 5-year-old daughter of Sky Mesa  , earned her first stakes victory from 15 career starts when she captured the 1 3/16-mile Via Borghese Dec. 31 after an ideal trip from Paco Lopez, who sat patiently mid-pack before angling inside down the stretch to edge stablemate Desiree Clary by half a length.

"She had a very good trip," trainer Christophe Clement said. "I have a question mark if she wants to go that far at this time, but we are going to try and go from there. 

"She came out of the race in good order, she has trained very well and she looks very well. She seems to be thriving at Payson Park," he added. "Unfortunately, (it) will be a very competitive race. We will try our best and see what happens."

Paige finished sixth in the Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3T) last fall at Keeneland, her only previous try at the distance.

German-bred Desiree Clary, who joined Clement last summer after six starts in Europe, was third by half a length in the Long Island Handicap (G3T) at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 6.

"Desiree Clary will stay for sure. She looks well and there's no doubt in my mind that she has the stamina," Clement said. "You try to bring them up to the races as good as possible and as fit as possible and then it's up to the racing gods. It's all about the trip."

Team Valor International and Green Lantern Stables' Arles has just missed in her two North American starts since coming over from Germany last summer. Second by less than a length in the Glens Falls (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course in her stateside debut, the daughter of Monsun came up a nose short as the favorite in the Red Carpet Handicap (G3T) in November at Del Mar, both races coming at 1 3/8 miles. She owns a win at 1 1/4 miles in her penultimate European start.

"She really has been good since we've gotten her, perhaps a little bit unlucky. She's had two solid seconds but she seems very consistent and she's been there each time," trainer Graham Motion said. "She's a very straightforward, very attractive mare, really very uncomplicated. We didn't go looking for a mile and a half race but I certainly think it is something within her scope."