Clairiere

Clairiere won her debut by half a length at Churchill Downs on Oct. 25, 2020, rallying from the back of the pack. She once again closed from behind to finish second in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes at the same track on Nov. 28. 

In her 3-year-old debut, the Curlin filly outfinished Golden Rod winner Travel Column to turn the tables on her familiar rival in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes Presented by Fasig-Tipton Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds to earn $180,000 and 50 points toward qualifying for the Longines Kentucky Oaks.

Clairiere made her final Oaks prep in the Grade 2 Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks on Mar. 20. Once again, she sat off the pace, then rallied in the stretch. Despite racing a bit greenly, she came on to finish second, behind Travel Column. She earned 40 more qualifying points towards the Oaks with that effort.

Clairiere finished fourth in the Oaks, then was third in the Grade 2 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park on June 26 and second in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 21. After that stretch of fine performances, she broke through with a Grade 1 victory in the $1 million Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing on Sept. 25, defeating Obligatory by 2 ½ lengths. Clairiere closed out her 3-year-old season with a good fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, finishing three-quarters of a length behind longshot winner Marche Lorraine.

Clairiere made her 4-year-old debut in a third-level allowance optional claiming race at Fair Grounds on Mar. 16, 2022. Sent off as the 1-10 favorite, she rated well off the pace in the early stages of the 1 1/16-mile contest. She lacked racing room turning for home, but once she found space, she effortlessly took the lead and won going away. 

With that warmup in the bag, Clairiere returned to Grade 1 company and squared off with Letrustka in the Apple Blossom Stakes at Oaklawn Park on April 23. She moved up from last of five and continued well through the stretch to finish second, 1 ¼ lengths behind Letruska.

Those two returned in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes on the June 11 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets undercard as part of a five-horse field comprised of elite fillies and mares. Clairiere sat in her customary rear position in the 1 1/16-mile, one-turn race while Letruska and Search Results shot clear of the rest and set a swift pace. At the top of the stretch, Clairiere and champion Malathaat paired up for a strong rally, and moved past Search Results in the final sixteenth. The pair dueled to the wire, and Clairiere proved best in a thriller, edging Malathaat by a head.

Clairiere and Malathaat faced off again in the Grade 2 Shuvee Stakes July 23 at Saratoga, a 1 1/8-mile race held around two turns. Clairiere broke well under Joel Rosario but was taken back in the first turn to trail in the four-horse field, but well within striking range. She moved up in the turn but found herself boxed in behind leader Crazy Beautiful, with Malathaat to her outside and unwilling to concede position. Rosario found an opening along the rail at the top of the stretch, and Clairiere powered past Crazy Beautiful and then rebuffed Malathaat’s challenge to score by 1 ½ lengths.

After throwing in a rare clunker when finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga on Aug. 27, Clairiere was trained up to the Breeders' Cup by trainer Steve Asmussen for her next race. In the Grade 1 $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff on Nov. 5, Clairiere was sent off as the 6-1 fourth choice on the tote board in a highly competitive field that included her old rival Malathaat as well as many other top stakes winners. Clairiere raced last in the eight-horse field through the first half of the race and then closed in the stretch, coming up the rail in the very late stages to challenge the leading Blue Stripe. Both horses were passed on the wire by Malathaat, and Clairiere settled for a tough-luck third-place finish when beaten only a nose.

Clairiere is out of Cavorting, a three-time Grade 1 winner. Cavorting was a graded stakes winner at ages 2, 3, and 4.