From DRF:
ELMONT, N.Y. – Too Sexy made a successful stakes debut Sunday, rallying powerfully down the center of the Belmont Park turf course to win the $150,000 Floral Park Stakes for fillies and mares by 3 1/4 lengths.
Raven’s Cry finished second, one length in front of Introduced. Secure Connection was fourth, followed by Pacific Gale, Gogo Shoes, Honey Cake and Robin Sparkles, the 3-2 favorite.
The Floral Park served as an appetizer for trainer Christophe Clement, who just about 20 minutes later sent out the 1-2 finishers of the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine in Mutamakina and La Dragontea.
Too Sexy was making her 12th career start and fifth since Stuart Grant’s Elkstone Group purchased her from the Elite Sales consignment for $120,000 out of the Keeneland Horses of Racing Age sale in April. Clement had previously trained the horse for her original owners Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister.
Entering Sunday, Too Sexy had won two of four starts for Grant, the most recent win coming with an off-the-pace run over good Belmont turf on Sept. 25.
Though the course Sunday was listed as firm, it did rain here Saturday and cooler temperatures on Sunday resulted in a bit of give in the ground.
Racing in the back of the pace early under Jose Lezcano, Too Sexy was 6 1/2 lengths off the early pace established by Honey Cake.
Too Sexy was three wide backstretch, then swung six wide into the clear and came with a huge late run that swept her past Introduced and Raven’s Cry for the victory.
“She’s an improving filly, won very well in an allowance in September,” Clement said. “She seems to be enjoying a new career by running over ground with a bit of cut in it. She’s found a niche doing that.”
Too Sexy covered the six furlongs in a posted time of 1:09.68 and returned $7.90 as the second choice.
Too Sexy is by Quality Road out of the dam Cake Baby. She is an older half-sister to Slipstream, a 2-year-old colt by More Than Ready who won the Grade 3 Futurity for Clement at Belmont on Oct. 10.
Clement said he would likely point Too Sexy to the $150,000 Autumn Days Stakes going six furlongs at Aqueduct on Nov. 28.
