Classy Edition Wins Fourth Career Stakes in Critical Eye

Classic Empire’s consistent daughter Classy Edition (4f Classic Empire x Newbie, by Bernardini) registered her third victory of the year on Monday with a win in the Critical Eye Stakes at Belmont Park.

Bouncing back off her lone loss of the year, Classy Edition stumbled out of the gate in the 1 1/16 mile dirt race but quickly got into stride. She poured the pressure on the pacesetter through the backstretch before entering a duel around the turn and taking over the lead just before they entered the final quarter.

Asked to step up the pace even more entering the stretch, the race favorite proved she had more to give when pulling away by 2 ¼ lengths over Cupid’s Sterling Silver with the third placed runner 8 ¾ lengths behind that runner.

The Chester and Mary Broman-bred 4-year-old is trained by Todd Pletcher and Lawana and Robert Low and is the winner of six of her nine starts with just two off the board finishes for nearly $500,000 in earnings.

A $550,000 purchase by the Lows from Sequel Bloodstock at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale two years ago, Classy Edition is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Newly Minted and stakes placed New Girl In Town. She is also a granddaughter of stakes winning Changeisgonnacome, herself one of two stakes winners for her own dam.

One of two graded stakes winners for Classic Empire in 2023, she is also one of eight lifetime stakes winners for her third crop sire – third best of all stallions in his group.