Aqueduct: Ready for Rye poised to return to dirt in G3 Fall Highweight on Thanksgiving

NYRA RELEASE —-

Brown to saddle three contenders in Winter Memories

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Chalk Racing’s Ready for Rye will again make the switch from turf to dirt in the Grade 3, $200,000 Fall Highweight on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

For the second straight year, the Tom Albertrani trainee will use a strong effort in the Belmont Turf Sprint Championship as a springboard to the Fall Highweight, contested at six furlongs on the main track. Ready for Rye parlayed that schedule into a third-place finish in last year’s Highweight.

The 5-year-old City Zip gelding, who earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure following a second-place finish to Disco Partner in the Turf Sprint on October 7, will be looking for his first win on dirt since a 1 ¼-length score in an optional claimer on June 18 at Belmont. Ready for Rye will also look to improve on a 2-2-1 record in six career starts at six furlongs.

“We had a couple of options to choose from, but he runs well on either surface, so we wanted to take a look at this race and see how it shakes up,” Albertrani said. “He’s effective at six or seven [furlongs]; he seems to hold up. It all depends on the track. He didn’t like the deep track at Saratoga this summer, so we moved him to the grass. But he’s versatile.”

Ready for Rye will carry 128 pounds from post 8 with jockey Luis Saez aboard.

“He’s running style shows he can do it [multiple] ways,” Albertrani said. “Last year he seemed to be getting a little outrun, but this year, I’ve been seeing him putting himself a little closer in his races and I think that’s where he’s most effective, where he’s up towards the front end instead of too far back.”

Seymourdini, who won three straight before a fourth-place effort in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler on October 28 at Belmont, will look to go 3-for-3 at the Big A. The 4-year-old son of Bernardini, who registered a 113 Beyer in winning the State Dinner by 10 ½ lengths on July 4 at Belmont, rallied from ninth to close the gap in the Bold Ruler and will be cutting back in distance to run at six furlongs for the first time since his second career start in 2015.

Trained by Linda Rice, Seymourdini will carry 129 pounds and have the services of jockey Jose Ortiz from the outside post.

Stallwalkin’ Dude, who ran second to Heaven’s Runway in last year’s Fall Highweight, has finished in the money in five of his last seven starts, all against stakes company. The 7-year-old, trained and co-owned by David Jacobson, will depart from post 3 carrying the highweight of 134 pounds with Joe Bravo aboard.

After five straight graded stakes starts, Green Gratto will look to gain class relief and return to the track where he last was victorious, winning the Grade 1 Carter Handicap on April 8.

Trained by Gaston Grant, Green Gratto will be making his 60th career start and is 7-6-8 in 41 career starts at the Fall Highweight distance. Kendrick Carmouche will ride carrying 128 pounds from post 6.

Threefiveindia will make his first Aqueduct appearance since finishing sixth in the 2016 Grade 1 Cigar Mile. After winning an optional claimer on August 26 at Saratoga, the 4-year-old returned to graded stakes company, running fourth in the Grade 2 Phoenix on October 6 at Keeneland.

Trained by Chad Brown, Threefiveindia will break from post 4 carrying 130 pounds. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will be in the irons.

Schivarelli won Race 3 on Saturday at Aqueduct and was claimed by trainer Tom Morley. Previously trained by Rudy Rodriguez, Schivarelli could look to run back four days later, drawing post 5 carrying 125 pounds. Hall of Famer John Velazquez retains the mount, though Morley said it’s a possibility the 6-year-old won’t make the start.

“He was already entered in the Fall Highweight, so it seemed logical to put him in and have a look. He’s by no means a guaranteed starter,” Morley said. “We’ll take a look at the past performances and see how it sets up. He won very impressively today and he’s also a horse who loves it here. He nearly won a Wood Memorial [fourth in 2014] here, but he’s entered and we’ll have a look. [There’s] no solid confirmation on whether he will run or not.”

Rounding out the field is Hey Jabber Jaw, from trainer Robertino Diordoro, from post 2 carrying 126 pounds; Life in Shambles, for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen out of post 7 with 126 pounds; and Great Stuff, also for Jacobson, carrying 125 pounds from the rail.

Also on Thursday, Brown will launch a three-pronged attack with a trio of contenders entered in a full field for the $150,000 Winter Memories for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Leading Brown’s runners is Rymska, who returned from a nine-month layoff on September 30 to post a three-quarter-length victory in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Oaks at Laurel Park. In her only other start in 2017, the French-bred Le Havre filly won the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant in February at Gulfstream Park.

Rymska will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. from post 10.

Also for Brown are Thais, a French-bred daughter of Rio de La Plata, who finished a close third in the October 14 Pebbles behind talented stablemate Rubilinda, and Taperge, by Tapit, who was second to Rymska in the Commonwealth Oaks.

Thais will break from the rail with Velazquez aboard, while Taperge will have the services of Castellano from post 8.

Trainer Graham Motion will also be represented by a pair of runners in Dancing Breeze, third in her North American debut on October 25 at Belmont, and Pebbles runner-up Party Boat.

Rounding out the field are Well Humored, unbeaten in two career starts, both in off-the-turf races; Grade 3-placed I’m Betty G, who will race with blinkers off; Last Promise Kept, exiting back-to-back wins against maiden and allowance company this fall; Lift Up, third in the La Lorgnette on September 30 at Woodbine last time out; and recent allowance winners Lucky Long and Heavenly Score. Bonita Bianca, Divine Miss Grey and Land Mine are entered for the main track only