Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Pure Sensation, Disco Partner target Belmont Turf Sprint
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Christophe Clement hopes Pure Sensation’s victory in Monday’s Turf Monster Stakes at Parx Racing – the third straight year the horse has won that race – is the beginning of a productive fall for the 7-year-old gelding that ends with a start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Pure Sensation and his stablemate Disco Partner will both be pointed to the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational at Belmont Park on Oct. 7. Pure Sensation won the Belmont Turf Sprint in 2016, and Disco Partner took top honors in 2017.
Pure Sensation ended a fourrace losing streak by virtue of his neck victory over Vision Perfect in the Turf Monster. Pure Sensation had finished third in the Parx Dash in July, and came out of the race sore in both front feet, according to Clement. Pure Sensation stayed at Belmont all summer with assistant trainer Christophe Lorieul.
“He did a great job all summer long with him, along with the blacksmith,” Clement said. Pure Sensation “was wrong; he just got right at the end of August. We gave him one sharp work. I didn’t think he was fit enough, so we gave him one easy work and then ran him. It was a gutsy win, great ride.”
Kendrick Carmouche rode Pure Sensation, who has now won 10 races from 29 starts and earned $1.5 million.
Disco Partner will go into the Belmont Turf Sprint off a thirdplace finish on soft ground in the Troy at Saratoga on Aug. 5.
“He hates soft ground,” Clement said. “He was still good enough to run a decent race. He’s a much better horse on firmer turf.”
This year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint will be run at 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs, and Clement hopes to run both horses in that race for a second consecutive year. Clement will be hoping for firm turf at the Breeders’ Cup.
“The ground is more important than the distance,” Clement said.
Chipolata to Sands Point
Chipolata arrived from France five days before the race and finished a solid third behind Athena and Thewayiam in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks here in July. Now, after a summer break, Chipolata is scheduled to make her next start in the Grade 2, $400,000 Sands Point Stakes for 3-yearold fillies on turf here Sept. 15.
“The plan was always to run her in the Sands Point,” Clement said, adding that he had wanted more time for her to acclimate to the United States as opposed to running her at Saratoga.
The expected field for the Sands Point, which will be drawn Wednesday, includes Got Stormy, Secret Message, Reversethedecision, Colonia, Victorine, and potentially Sweet Sting.
Gargan has backup plan
If rain doesn’t force Saturday’s Grade 3 James Penny Memorial at Parx off the turf, Divine Miss Grey will run in Sunday’s $100,000 Royal Delta Stakes at Belmont Park.
Divine Miss Grey was one of seven entered Thursday for the Royal Delta, which is restricted to fillies and mares who have not won a Grade 1 or Grade 2 stakes this year. It allows Grade 3 stakes winners, which is why Berned, who beat Divine Miss Grey in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher, was eligible to be entered.
Trainer Danny Gargan said Divine Miss Grey backed up in the Molly Pitcher after getting involved in a pace duel with Unchained Melody, setting it up for Berned to come from off the pace.
“I wasn’t real happy after the race,” Gargan said.
The Royal Delta is run at 1 1/16 miles around one turn. Divine Miss Grey won the Lady’s Secret at 1 1/16 miles around two turns at Monmouth in June, but she was most impressive in winning the Heavenly Prize, a one-turn mile at Aqueduct in March.
Others entered in the Royal Delta were Berned, Come Dancing, Dreamcall, Frostie Anne, Sneaky Betty, and No Need to Appeal, a supplemental entrant from trainer Chad Brown.
Englehart’s fillies target stakes
Trainer Jeremiah Englehart had a successful summer with his New York-bred juvenile fillies, many of whom will be pointed to stakes races in the coming weeks.
Sue’s Fortune, who won the Grade 2 Adirondack at Saratoga on Aug. 11, will make her next start in the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont on Oct. 7. Sue’s Fortune, a daughter of Jump Start, is 2 for 2, having also defeated New York-bred maidens by 8 1/2 lengths.
Party Like Grandma, also 2 for 2, including a victory in the Seeking the Ante for New York-breds at Saratoga on Aug. 24, will make her next start in the $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma Stakes here on Sept. 19. Englehart will also run Cartwheelin Lulu in the Gimma at seven furlongs. Cartwheelin Lulu was a four-length debut winner at Finger Lakes on Aug. 16.
Take Me to Hardoon, another debut-winning New York-bred juvenile filly, will wait until the $120,000 Maid of the Mist Stakes on Oct. 20 to make her next start.
Finally, Forty Under, a juvenile colt who won a maiden race on turf after finishing ninth in his debut, will make his next start in the Grade 3, $200,000 Pilgrim going 1 1/16 miles on turf at Belmont on Sept. 16.