Carson’s Run, Deterministic a formidable pair for Clement in G2 Fort Marcy

Trainer Christophe Clement will be represented by the talented duo of Carson’s Run and Deterministic in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy, a nine-furlong outer turf test for older horses, at Belmont at the Big A.

West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey’s dual Grade 1-winner Carson’s Run [post 4, Dylan Davis, 124 pounds] makes his 4-year-old debut off a more than five-month respite that dates to a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November at Del Mar. The 3 1/4-length defeat as the mutuel favorite came with a rallying trip that saw him close from ninth-of-11 but fail to threaten in the stretch.

The Hollywood Derby was an uncharacteristic result for the talented Cupid chestnut, who notched his first graded win as a juvenile in Woodbine’s Grade 1 Summer on the heels of a runner-up effort in Saratoga Race Course’s Grade 3 With Anticipation.

He improved even more so as a sophomore, securing a win in Monmouth Park’s Tale of the Cat ahead of a return to Grade 1 glory with a three-quarter-length triumph in the Saratoga Derby Invitational in August at the Spa, winning with his signature late kick to edge clear of Legend of Time in the final stages as stablemate Deterministic finished another nose behind in third.

Caron’s Run went on to post a game runner-up finish in Kentucky Downs’ Grade 3 Nashville Derby and earn another graded coup traveling 1 3/8 miles over the Big A green in the Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational when closing from nine lengths off the pace to finish three-quarter lengths better than Deterministic ahead of the Hollywood Derby.

Carson’s Run has made eight of his 10 trips around the oval under Dylan Davis, who earned his first American Grade 1 victory when engineering the winning trip in the Saratoga Derby.

Miguel Clement, son of and assistant to Christophe Clement, said he is looking forward to seeing Davis in the saddle again atop a fresh Carson’s Run from post 4 on Saturday.

“He's had a perfect winter of preparation in Florida,” Clement said. “Dylan Davis will be in the saddle – those two have been a dynamic duo and we hope that 2025 will continue that success for Dylan and the stable.”

Carson’s Run was a $170,000 purchase at the 2023 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the winning Henny Hughes mare Hot N Hectic, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Rated R Superstar.

St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable’s Deterministic [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche, 124 pounds] is a graded stakes-winner on dirt and turf, but has found his best stride since being transferred to the grass last summer here.

The Liam’s Map 4-year-old made his seasonal bow on April 6 at Keeneland, finishing second 1 3/4 lengths behind Money Supply in an off-the-turf allowance. The talented dark bay ran exclusively in graded events last year, beginning with a two-length score in the Grade 3 Gotham over the Big A main track ahead of off-the-board efforts in two other local dirt graded stakes.

Deterministic has not missed the board on turf, beginning with a close second in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 3 Manila and his aforementioned third in the Saratoga Derby before a breakthrough victory in the Grade 3 Virginia Derby going this distance in September at Colonial Downs. He closed out the year with his runner-up finish to Carson’s Run in the Jockey Club Derby en route to a stalk-and-pounce victory in the Grade 3 Hill Prince over course and distance.

Clement said he is pleased with the way Deterministic has progressed into his 4-year-old season.

“He ran at Keeneland and even though it was off the turf, I thought he produced a strong, noble effort,” Clement said. “The race will set him up for a better effort in his next start. He won the Hill Prince over nine furlongs at Aqueduct, so it's good to have had success at distance and track.”

A $625,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Deterministic is out of the winning Speightstown mare Giulio’s Jewel, a half-sister to Grade 2-placed Duff One.

Ignacio Hurtado’s Kay Army [post 1, Jose Lezcano, 120 pounds] puts a perfect 10-for-10 record on the line as he makes his first North America outing for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Kay Army was entered in the Grade 2 Woodward in September on the dirt here, but was scratched.

The 5-year-old Katmai chestnut, who made all 10 previous starts in Chile with conditioners Patricio Baeza Alamos and Juan Baeza Jarpa, returns to the races off a more than one-year layoff, his last effort a 6 1/4-length romp in the 1 1/2-mile Group 1 El Derby last March at Valparaiso. The six-time Group 1-winner boasts wins on both dirt and turf, his win two starts back coming in the 1 3/8-mile Group 1 St. Leger over the Hipodromo Chile.

A nine-time group stakes-winner overall, Kay Army has been dominant in every start, his margins of victory between 1 1/2 and eight lengths at distances ranging from 6 1/2 furlongs up to 1 1/2 miles. He has banked $421,708 through his perfect ledger.

Frank Argano, Julia Iavarone, Michael Iavarone and Nicholas Zoumas’ veteran turf specialist Master Piece [post 2, Eric Cancel, 122 pounds] looks to defend his title in his event after capturing last year’s running by a neck over Ottoman Fleet.

Trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr., the 9-year-old Mastercraftsman gelding makes his first start since an off-the-board effort in the Grade 2 Red Smith in November here, a race he was also defending his title in after taking the 2023 edition in surprise fashion at odds of 10-1.

The seasoned grey put together a productive campaign last year that saw him earn a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for his determined Fort Marcy win, along with respectable finishes in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap [fifth] and Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship [third], beaten less than two lengths in both efforts.

Master Piece, who also captured the Grade 2 Eddie Read in 2022 for conditioner Michael McCarthy, holds a 33-8-4-5 record with $945,827 in total purse earnings. The Chilean-bred is out of the Group 3-winning Proud Citizen mare Torre Laguna.

Completing the field is Repole Stable’s Grade 3-placed Tuscan Sky [post 5, Ricardo Santana, Jr., 120 pounds], who tries turf for the first time off a third in the Grade 3 Ghostzapper on March 29 at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old son of Vino Rosso won the Listed Pegasus in June at Monmouth and finished second in the local nine-furlong Discovery in November.

Magnolia Midnight has been entered for the main track only.

The Fort Marcy is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 11-race card, which also features the Listed $150,000 Elusive Quality in Race 7.

First post on Saturday at the Big A is 12:00 p.m. Eastern with the facility open to the public from 10 a.m. - 8:45 p.m. to accommodate an 11 a.m. first post at Churchill Downs for their 14-race card that features the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby in Race 12 at 6:57 p.m. The Big A will host a Kentucky Derby watch party Saturday featuring Taste NY liquor samplings, mint julep bar, pimento cheese tasting, live music and NYRA Bets giveaways.

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

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.