Zipse: Clairière keeps knocking on Breeders’ Cup Distaff door

At 3, Clairière was beaten in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff by less than a length when she finished fourth at Del Mar behind Marche Lorraine. Last year at Keeneland the daughter of Curlin fell short by just two noses to Malathaat after a spirited rally up the rail.

She’s been knocking on the door the last two seasons at the Breeders’ Cup. It’s time for the Stonestreet homebred to kick the door in.

Breeders’ Cup 2023: Early odds and analysis.

Those betting that Clairière does just that Saturday at Santa Anita should receive very favorable odds. While Idiomatic, Adare Manor and Randomized all come into the Distaff red hot, the 5-year-old mare comes into this year’s edition off two losses. What’s more, she finished a non-threatening fifth in her most recent start.

The value will be there as will the pace set-up. Not only do the likely top three favorites all come to the Great Race Place streaking, but they also all have a high turn of early speed. In a race that should feature a strong and contested pace, Clairière is likely to get all the early speed she needs ahead of her to come running and mow them down in the stretch.

While her recent form has not been good, it’s important to remember Saratoga is not a track which she particularly cares for. Just 1-for-6 overall at the upstate New York oval, she got absolutely no pace two starts back and ran on well to finish second in the Shuvee (G2).

Last time out Clairière clearly did not appreciate the sloppy track in the Personal Ensign and ran poorly while Idiomatic romped. Given a fast track at Santa Anita on Saturday, the consistent mare should be back on her game. And her game is very good.

Following a debut win in the fall of her 2-year-old season, when she rallied from last at Churchill Downs, the bay mare ran in 19 graded stakes races in her next 20 starts.

A multiple graded-stakes winner in each of her last three seasons on the track, she has banked over $3.1 million in her excellent career.

So very close last year in the Breeder’s Cup Distaff, the veteran mare just needs a win in the big race to put an exclamation point on her career and to be remembered as the truly outstanding racehorse that she has been.

Following her heartbreaking loss in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Clairière got back to business in 2023. She began the season in March by navigating through traffic to get up for second behind Secret Oath in the Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn.

With that tightener under her girth, Clairière gained revenge on that rival by finishing like a shot. The victory came in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom, also at Oaklawn.

Next came the prestigious Ogden Phipps on Belmont Stakes Day, where she once again showed off a long and powerful stretch drive to overcome Distaff rival Search Results in the Grade 1 race.

Those victories at the highest level were vintage Clairière. She has been pure class since the beginning of her career with only the aforementioned disappointing pair at Saratoga coming in between the back-to-back Grade 1 wins and another shot at America’s most important race for older females.

Clairière has been at Santa Anita all month and working well for her Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. All signs point to a return to her usual effort following the dull performance in the slop.

It’s a tough race, but given her past record in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, a fast racing surface and a strong early pace to set the table, I like her chances Saturday. The best part is she should offer real value. My money will be on Clairière.