Gulfstream: Ozara Gets Jump on Clement Stablemate to Win Monroe

By David Joseph —-

Ozara; The Monroe Stakes; Lauren King Photo
Ozara Gets Jump on Clement Stablemate to Win Monroe

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Cheyenne Stable LLC’s Ozara made a three-wide swoop to the lead on the turn into the homestretch to get the jump on stablemate Breath Away and drew away to a 1 ½-length victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Monroe Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Ozara ($6) and Breath Away, the 8-5 favorite in a field of nine fillies and mares assembled for the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes, are trained by Christophe Clement.

“They were the probably the two best fillies in the race and they ran like it today,” Miguel Clement, Clement’s son and assistant trainer, said.

Swoonatra, a 50-1 outsider ridden by Luca Panici, set up the showdown between the Clement stablemates by opening up a long early lead while setting fractions of 23.95 and 47.28 seconds for the first half mile over a firm turf. Breath Away, on the rail, and Ozara, to her outside, settled in third and fourth, respectively along the backstretch. On the far turn, Breath Away and Ozara advanced while overtaking De Regreso to loom as ominous threats to the tiring pacesetter. Ozara and jockey Emisael Jaramillo had the clearer path as jockey Paco Lopez had to check slightly behind the tiring Swoonatra.

Breath Away kicked in with a strong run in the stretch, but Ozara had already put the race away. The victorious 4-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Lope de Vegas ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.84. Breath Away finished 1 ¾ lengths ahead of Sensitivity and jockey Rajiv Maragh.

“This race made a lot of sense for both fillies. It’s a black-type event. They were both at Payson and they were training really well,” Miguel Clement said. “We expected them both to run well, which they did. The immediate plan was the race.”

Ozara, who captured the Wait a While during the 2023-2024 Championship Meet, won a Jan. 3 optional claiming allowance at Tampa Bay Downs off a nine-month layoff before coming up short in a sixth-place finish in the Honey Fox (G3) at Gulfstream March 29.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco and Tango Uniform Racing’s Breath Away, a graded stakes-placed 5-year-old daughter of Bated Breath, is also a stakes winner over the Gulfstream turf.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $275,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have its jackpot pool estimated at $275,000 Sunday at Gulfstream Park for its 10-race program that begins at 12:50 p.m.

Sunday’s sequence spans Races 5-11. The opener is an entry-level optional claiming allowance for Florida-bred fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting 6 ½ furlongs on the main track. Emirates Affair chases a third straight win after being claimed out of each of her last two outings, most recently for $20,000 April 4. The 7-year-old mare owns 10 wins from 49 starts.

A second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for five furlongs on the grass comes in Race 6, drawing a field of 10 led by stakes-placed new gelding Refuel. The quality group includes stakes winners Mattingly, Panther Island and Grade 3-winning stablemate Yes I Am Free.

Race 7 is a maiden special weight for 3-year-olds going one mile and 70 yards on the all-weather Tapeta course. The 2-1 program favorite is Repole Stable’s Nudge, a $200,000 son of Uncle Mo trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher that sheds blinkers after running sixth in a one-mile turf event March 30, his first race in seven months. Daham, an American Pharoah colt that fetched $350,000 as a yearling, and Cash the Money, a $490,000 son of Curlin, are also entered.

The feature comes in Race 8, the $70,000 Golden Beach overnight handicap for fillies and mares 3 and up scheduled for five furlongs on the grass. Great Venezuela, never worse than third in 10 starts, goes after an eighth win and second straight in a stakes at a course and distance where she is 2-for-2. Mrs. Gambolini won two of three starts last year and races for the first time since a Nov. 1 victory, also at the course and distance.

In the Rainbow 6, the carryover pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool usually goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

The Rainbow 6 has gone unsolved for seven racing days following a mandatory payout of $6,047.50 April 13.

Notes: Jockey Jose Morelos registered a natural hat trick Saturday with consecutive wins aboard Just a Photo ($11.20) in Race 6, Tepeyac ($23) in Race 7 and Sonny’s Goldenlady ($14.80) in Race 8, and added a fourth win on Sheila’s Mission ($) in Race 10… Royal Palm Meet leader Edgard Zayas won with Richard Ave ($3.20) in Race 2 and Nate the Great ($4) in Race 3 … Both Sheila’s Mission and Nate the Great are trained by Bobby Dibona.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks, training centers and premier events including: Santa Anita Park and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); Laurel Park, The Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and 1/ST TV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information email david.joseph@GulfstreamPark.com and visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.