In the Clear
Clear Pasaj eyes third straight stakes win in Union Ave.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Clear Pasaj goes for her third straight stakes victory in Monday’s Union Avenue Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
The 6- furlong event on the main track, worth $100,000, is for New Yorkbred fillies and mares and has drawn a field of six.
Bred and owned by Anjes Farm, Clear Pasaj is a daughter of Hopeful Stakes winner Smoke Glacken and will be ridden by Jose L. Ortiz.
She is a model of consistency, finishing first or second in her last nine starts.
Clear Pasaj also has a mind of her own, which elicited a head- shaking smile and comment from trainer Bruce Levine.
“She’s as mean as can be,” he said. “You can’t take the halter off her. She doesn’t like me. Heck, she hates me. She can be a witch, but she sure can run.”
Clear Pasaj is coming off a hard-fought nose victory in the Lottsa Talc Stakes at Saratoga on July 25.
That followed an equally determined head victory in the Dancing Renee Stakes on June 1 at Belmont Park.
Her current form, with three wins and three seconds in her six starts this year, is at its career peak.
“No doubt about it,” said Levine. “When she was a maiden up here last year, if you had told me she would become a stakes winner I would have said no way. Any kind of stakes winner. I wouldn’t have believed it. She is such a surprise.”
Her rival Miss Valentine, a close third in the Lottsa Talc, returns in the Union Avenue.
She and Clear Pasaj are the co-highweights at 124 pounds, giving from four to ten pounds to their opponents.
Miss Valentine defeated Clear Pasaj with her usual late move in the No Reason Stakes at Belmont on May 10, winning by a half- length when each were equally weighted at 120 pounds.
Willet also returns from the Lottsa Talc, in which she split Clear Pasaj and Miss Valentine in that blanket finish at 7 furlongs.
She is another very consistent member of this field, and on her best days can really step, such as her win in the Iroquois Stakes last fall at Belmont by 9 1/4 lengths over Miss Valentine.
Willet has been off the board only once in 10 lifetime starts and has finished second three times at Saratoga.
Completing the Union Avenue field are Cape Cod Carol, Beautiful But Blue, and Galiana.