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Clement duo Carson’s Run and Deterministic loom large in G3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational

by Keith McCalmont

Trainer Christophe Clement will send out a formidable pair of contenders in dual Grade 1-winner Carson’s Run and dual Grade 3-winner Deterministic in Saturday’s Grade 3, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby Invitational, an 11-furlong inner turf test sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.

The Jockey Club Derby concludes NYRA’s lucrative series of turf races for sophomores that saw Trikari take the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational in July and Carson’s Run prevail in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 11.

West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey’s Carson’s Run [post 3, Dylan Davis], by Cupid, captured the Grade 1 Summer last September at Woodbine as part of a solid juvenile campaign that included a debut maiden win and runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Grade 3 With Anticipation at Saratoga Race Course.

Carson’s Run, who ran ninth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in November at Santa Anita, returned to action with a troubled effort in the Woodhaven in April at Aqueduct where he veered out through the turn and was demoted from fourth to fifth.

“That is the only question mark about running him back at Aqueduct. I don't know why he did that - he just took off,” Clement said.

He made immediate amends by closing to win the Tale of the Cat in June at Monmouth before a three-quarter length score in the Saratoga Derby, in which the reopposing Legend of Time and Deterministic ran second and third, respectively.

Last out, Carson’s Run closed strongly from 11th-of-12 under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario to finish second in the 1 5/16-mile Grade 3 Nashville Derby on August 31 at Kentucky Downs.

Dylan Davis, aboard for the Saratoga Derby score, will return to the irons Saturday.

“I'm very happy with the two of them. They are both versatile,” Clement said. “Carson’s Run is training well. Last time he got beat, but he was a very good second. Dylan knows him well.”

Carson’s Run is out of the winning Henny Hughes mare Hot N Hectic, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Rated R Superstar. His second dam, Wicked Wish, is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Wishful Tomcat and multiple stakes-winner Uncle T Seven. He has banked in excess of $1.2 million through an 8-4-2-0 record.

St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker, and Vicarage Stable’s Deterministic [post 5, Joel Rosario], by Liam’s Map, made his first four starts on the main track topped by a win in the local Grade 3 Gotham in March. He shifted to the turf after off-the-board efforts here in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino and Grade 3 Peter Pan.

“He has been improving steadily. He was very nice on dirt in the Gotham but a very disappointing Wood Memorial and Peter Pan,” Clement said.

Deterministic made his move to turf with a close runner-up effort to Neat in the Grade 3 Manila in June here ahead of a closing third-place finish in the Saratoga Derby.

“I thought he ran a very good second in the Manila. He was finishing well,” Clement said. “He ran well in the Saratoga Derby. I wasn't sure if he wanted to go that far, so I probably told Joel to be more conservative than I should have, and he came from way out of it.”

He arrives from a rallying neck score in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Virginia Derby on September 7 at Colonial Downs.

“He ran a great race in the Virginia Derby. I think he should stay the distance Saturday- there's no reason he shouldn't,” Clement said.

Bred in Kentucky by Hinkle Farms, Deterministic was a $625,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Speightstown mare Giulio’s Jewel. His third dam, the turf stakes-winning Amelia, produced graded stakes-winning turfers Rainha Da Bateria, Assateague and Kindergarden Kid.

Godolphin’s Legend of Time [post 7, Flavien Prat] will be making his fifth stateside start for trainer Charlie Appleby.

The Sea The Stars colt began his current campaign with a trio of wins at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai topped by a score in the nine-furlong Jumeirah Classic in March. He made his U.S. debut with a fifth-place finish to the victorious Trikari in the Grade 2 American Turf on May 4 and followed with a rallying head win here in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Pennine Ridge where he overcame a bobbled start.

Legend of Time will be the lone contender to compete in all three legs of NYRA’s turf series for sophomores, having finishing third in the Belmont Derby and second in the Saratoga Derby.

The talented bay has breezed back three times over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training turf, including a half-mile effort in 49 flat on September 13.

"We were happy with his breeze and Charlie was happy with it, too," said Appleby's travelling assistant Nikki Jones. "He's in good form. He's quite small but he's full of himself most of the time."

Bred in Great Britain by Lordship Stud and Sunderland Holding, Legend of Time was a $174,613 purchase at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and is out of the graded stakes-placed Danehill Dancer mare Kissable, who also produced Grade 1-placed Amandine.

Shadwell Stable’s Kentucky homebred El Rezeen [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] will make his stakes debut for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

He added blinkers to graduate at fourth asking in a 12-furlong maiden special weight on July 20 at the Spa and followed up there one month later with a powerful 3 3/4-length allowance score traveling 11-furlongs against elders that registered a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

"His last two races have been very good, and he seems to be improving. He's enjoyed the addition of blinkers and the added distance,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher noted that the English Channel colt, out of the stakes-winning Kitten’s Joy mare Karama, should only improve with age.

"That's what we're hoping for with him and it appears to be the case so far,” Pletcher said.

El Rezeen worked a half-mile in 48.50 on September 20 over the Oklahoma training turf. He boasts a 6-2-1-0 record for purse earnings of $137,825.

A talented field also includes Grade 3 Saranac runner-up Yo Daddy [post 4, Jose Lezcano], who is cross-entered in Thursday’s Gio Ponti here for trainer Linda Rice; the Madison Meyers-trained Desvio [post 1, Ben Curtis], who arrives from a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Virginia Derby; and allowance winner Dashman [post 2, Manny Franco] for trainer Brian Lynch.

The Jockey Club Derby Invitational, slated as Race 5, is part of a lucrative 12-race card topped by two Grade 1 “Win and You’re In” qualifiers at one-mile for juveniles in the $500,000 Champagne [Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile] in Race 8 and the $400,000 Frizette [Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies] in Race 7. The card is supported by the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint in Race 6. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

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