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Rare Art looks to rebound in Listed $150K Chelsey Flower

by Mary Eddy

Woodford Racing and Team D’s Rare Art will look to improve off a closing fifth last-out in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo in Sunday’s Listed $150,000 Chelsey Flower, a 1 1/16-mile outer turf route for juvenile fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Tony Dutrow, the daughter of Munnings improved position steadily in the 1 1/16-mile Miss Grillo on October 6, tracking in 10th-of-12 through the first half-mile before creeping closer under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario. She made a three-wide bid into the stretch and was not affected when Marvelous Madison bore out sharply and carried two foes with her, but ran out of time and settled for fifth 3 3/4-lengths back of the victorious Scythian. She was awarded a field-best 71 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“All twelve of those horses were lightly raced, and I’m sure all of them looked at that like, ‘what is going on here,’” Dutrow said of the commotion in the turn, with a laugh.

Dutrow said he has some reservations about running the talented filly back off two weeks’ rest, but that he has seen all the right signs from her since the Miss Grillo.

“You really don’t know and you can act like you do, but you just can’t know when you run them back quick like that,” Dutrow said. “She’s showing really good energy from the last race and we’re very happy with her. This race was here and we thought we’d at least consider it. I don’t know what’s going to happen or if we’re running, but she’s doing fantastic. I like everything I see about her.”

Rare Art finished a close third traveling the Chelsey Flower distance on debut behind subsequent Miss Grillo runner-up Virgin Colada in a July maiden tilt at Saratoga Race Course, and followed with a determined three-quarter-length graduation over the same course and distance on August 23. There, she overcame a slow start to rally from 8 1/2 lengths off the pace and collar Good Conduct in the shadow of the wire.

The field she defeated included fourth-place Pookie, who graduated impressively next out here on the Miss Grillo undercard and is being pointed to the local $135,000 Tepin on November 17.

“When she ran the first time, that was a really good race, and then she came back and that was a good bunch of fillies she ran with again,” Dutrow said. “I don’t have any doubt about her quality, and I think she’s going to be a very fun 3-year-old next year.”

The dark bay filly was a $170,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the unraced Giant’s Causeway mare Adjudication, who also produced the dual stakes-placed mare La Dame Blanche.

While Rare Art is a May foal, Dutrow said she has been steady in her development.

“She looked like a May baby this spring, but by the time we left Saratoga, she had matured a fantastic amount in a small amount of time,” Dutrow said. “I think she’ll continue to develop and she doesn’t seem immature now.”

Rosario returns to the irons from post 4.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown will send out Stephanie Seymour Brant’s Opulent Restraint [post 3, Flavien Prat] off a gutsy half-length graduation at second asking on September 1 at the Spa.

The gray daughter of Dubawi stalked two lengths off the pace through the first quarter-mile of the 1 1/16-mile route. A patient Irad Ortiz, Jr. tipped her three-wide at the quarter-pole and improved to hold a head advantage at the stretch call before fighting back the challenge of Good Long Cry by a half-length to win in a final time of 1:44.17. She was awarded a 70 Beyer for the win.

Opulent Restraint, who finished a close fourth on debut in a race won by subsequent stakes-placed Reining Flowers, was bred in Ireland by White Birch Farm. She is out of the Brown-trained and Brant-owned multiple graded stakes-winner Significant Form.

Also entering from a second-out maiden score at this distance is NBS Stable’s Mangetsu [post 1, John Velazquez], who was a narrow winner against fellow New York-breds on September 13 here.

Trained by Kelsey Danner, the Lookin At Lucky bay made her turf debut last out, where she stalked and pounced to a two-length lead at the stretch call and dug in gamely under Hall of Famer John Velazquez when asked for her best in the stretch. She was met with a challenge from Willful Mama, but fended her off by three-quarter lengths in a final time of 1:45.24.

Bred by John Lauriello, Mangetsu was a $180,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Malibu Moon mare Orient Moon, who also produced the graded stakes-placed Kept Waiting.

Completing the field are the trio of restricted maiden-winners She’s Our Tiz [post 2, Jose Lezcano] for trainer Michelle Giangiulio, Duboff [post 5, Luis Rivera, Jr.] for conditioner Gregg Sacco, and the John Kimmel-trained Grace and Grit [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche].

Fortuna Mia has been entered for the main track-only.

The Chelsey Flower is slated as Race 3 on Sunday’s 10-race card. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

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