Aqueduct: Picco Uno, Bee Noteworthy face off in Sunday’s Broadway (NYB)

NYRA RELEASE —-

Empire Line looks to stay perfect in Gander (NYB)

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A salty group of filly and mare sprinters will line up for the $100,000 Broadway for 4-years-old and up in one of two New York-bred stakes on Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Jason Servis for Kennesaw Mountain Racing, 5-year-old Picco Uno will kick off her 2018 campaign in the Broadway, carded as Race 8. Last year, the daughter of Macho Uno won four races from seven starts.

Picco Uno, looking to improve off a runner-up effort in the Garland of Roses on December 9 at the Big A, has two wins and three seconds from six starts at the Broadway’s six-furlong distance.

Picco Uno will leave from post position 5 with Manny Franco aboard.

Entering for Check Mark Stables and trainer H. James Bond is Bee Noteworthy. The 6-year-old mare by Read the Footnotes has two wins from three starts at Aqueduct, including a victory in the NYSS Staten Island last November. Most recently, she raced three- to four-wide to finish fourth in the La Verdad on January 19.

Drawing post 4, Dylan Davis will be in the irons.

Sandy Belle, owned by trainer Rick Schosberg and Clear Stars Stable, will look make her first stakes start. A 4-year-old progeny of More Than Ready, Sandy Belle enters off a two-race win streak, taking an open allowance race on December 6 at Aqueduct before besting fellow New York-breds by 3 ¾ lengths on January 21.

Trevor McCarthy has the mount from post 2.

Rounding out the field is Bree’s Got Heart for trainer Eric Reid, Jr. and LC Racing; Shimmering Moon for trainer Michelle Nevin and Blue Bison Stable and Hoffman Thoroughbreds; Startwithsilver for trainer Linda Rice and Iris Smith Stable, Lady Shelia Stable; and Frosty Margarita for Gabrielle Farm and trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

Also on Sunday, West Point Thoroughbreds and RAP Racing’s Damon Runyon winner Empire Line will aim to keep his unbeaten record intact in the $100,000 Gander for sophomores at a mile, carded as Race 3.

A dark bay colt by Morning Line, Empire Line has been perfect in two career starts, both against New York-breds, beginning with a two-length maiden win on December 1 to earn a field-high 85 Beyer Speed Figure. Last time out, the George Weaver trainee stayed a little off a swift early pace in the one-mile Damon Runyon and closed down the lane to secure a narrow victory on January 15 at the Big A.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will ship north for the mount aboard Empire Line, who will break from post 2.

Also exiting the Damon Runyon is runner-up Evaluator for owner R and H Stable and trainer Michael Dilger. The Overanalyze colt made his first three starts on the grass, breaking his maiden against state-breds at Saratoga Race Course before finishing seventh in the Grade 3 With Anticipation and Grade 3 Pilgrim. He moved to the main track in the Sleepy Hollow for New York-breds on October 21 at Belmont Park, where he posted a nose victory over a field of 11.

Evaluator will be ridden by Manny Franco from post 3.

Red Diamond Stable’s Gio d’Oro will make his stakes debut for the Brad Cox barn. The Gio Ponti gelding hasn’t finished worse than third in four starts and broke through in his last time out, posting a head win in a New York-bred maiden on January 18 Gio d’Oro will leave from the outside post 5 with Kendrick Carmouche aboard.

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart will send out August Dawn Farm’s Nine Route, a 6 ½-length maiden winner on December 8. A $290,000 yearling purchase, the The Factor colt added a six-furlong optional-claiming event to his resume on January 18. Nine Route will have the services of Dylan Davis from post 4.

Supplemental entrant Engineers Report, who finished a recent third in a February 4 optional-claiming race, completes the field for the Gander for Rudy Rodriguez. By Mission Impazible, Engineers Report will be ridden by Trevor McCarthy from the rail.