Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Clement sends complementary pair in P.G. Johnson
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Seven 2-year-old fillies have been entered in the $100,000 P.G. Johnson Stakes on Thursday at Saratoga, although only five are likely to start, including two from the barn of trainer Christophe Clement. The P.G. Johnson is one of two stakes on Thursday’s 10-race program, along with the $100,000 Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes.
The P.G. Johnson, which honors the memory of the late Hall of Fame trainer, is carded at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Union Gables and Con Lima, both of whom are trained by Todd Pletcher, have been designated to run only if the race is switched to the main track. At entry time, there was only a 30 percent chance of rain in the forecast for the local area Thursday.
Clement will send out Plum Ali and Mischievous Dream, whose running styles should complement one another nicely in the P.G. Johnson. Plum Ali comes off a latestriding two-length debut win going 1 1/16 miles here July 23 and again figures to do her best running at the end. Mischievous Dream, on the other hand, began her career with a pair of sprint tries and will likely find herself near the early pace in her initial try around two turns.
Plum Ali, a daughter of First Samurai, has continued to do well in the six-week interim since her maiden win, Clement said.
“I thought she broke her maiden very impressively,” Clement said. “And she’s trained forwardly for this race. I thought about sending her to Kentucky Downs for a stakes this weekend, but decided it would be easier for her to just stay here and not have to ship around.”
Joel Rosario, who guided Plum Ali to her debut win, will retain the mount in the P.G. Johnson.
Mischievous Dream also won her maiden at first asking, rallying from just off the early leaders to a one-length triumph going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf here against New York-breds on July 19. She returned four weeks later to finish an even fourth at the same distance in the Bolton Landing.
“She’s doing well, and I thought this would be a fun race to try stretching her out for the first time,” said Clement, who gave the assignment to Irad Ortiz Jr. with her regular jockey Tyler Gaffalione riding in Kentucky this week.
Invincible Gal is another who’ll try a route of ground for the first time in the P.G. Johnson. She won her lone start, a maiden special weight allowance dash going 5 1/2 furlongs, by a half-length over a good turf course here Aug. 7.
“She won nicely enough – great trip,” said trainer Graham Motion. “She won going 5 1/2. I think she’ll handle [stretching out]. I don’t know why she wouldn’t.”
Simply Ravishing is the only other member of the lineup with experience around two turns. Simply Ravishing registered a one-length decision over just five rivals when launching her career at 1 1/16 miles here Aug. 2. Trained by Ken McPeek, the New York-bred daughter of Laoban defeated open company.
Completing the lineup is Thursday, who captured her lone start, which came sprinting over the main track July 13 at Delaware Park.
Spin a Yarn faces challenge
Finger Lakes invader Spin a Yarn, undefeated and untested in four career starts, could be the center of attention when she makes her local debut in the 6 1/2-furlong Park Avenue for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies.
Spin a Yarn, by Forty Tales, defeated open company with relative ease in each of her four previous tries. She earned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure for her sixth-length win in a nonwinners-of-three allowance on July 29 and came back to win another allowance by 3 1/2 lengths with a 65 Beyer. Trained by Christopher Pregno for ownerbreeders Chester and Mary Broman, Spin a Yarn will try to carry her speed beyond six furlongs for the first time Thursday.
Officer Hutchy could be a bounce candidate but will still be among the favorites when she returns on relatively short rest after running far and away the best race of her life to defeat $25,000 conditioned claiming company by 2 1/4 lengths here Aug. 16. Officer Hutchy earned an 89 Beyer Figure, 27 points higher than her previous best, and was claimed by owner Sanford Goldfarb and trainer Rob Atras.
Big Q, a Stallion Stakes winner at 2, and The Important One are among the other key contenders.