Aqueduct Stakes Previews: Heavenly Prize, Stymie

By Heather Pettinger —-

New York-bred millionaire Highway Star kicks off 2018 campaign in Heavenly Prize

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Chester and Mary Broman’s multiple graded stakes winner Highway Star will aim to start her 5-year-old campaign on a high note, leading a field of eight in the $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational for fillies and mares at a mile, one of four stakes Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack, anchored by the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham.

Highway Star, a New York-bred mare by Girolamo, posted victories last spring in the Grade 3 Distaff and Grade 2 Ruffian. The Rodrigo Ubillo trainee hit the board in a pair of Grade 1s, finishing third behind Songbird and Paid Up Subscriber in the Ogden Phipps and then shortened up to seven furlongs in the Ballerina, where she finished second by a head to By the Moon.

She won the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap at 6 ½ furlongs by a neck on September 24 at Belmont Park before finishing a troubled 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in November, won by fellow Broman homebred Bar of Gold. Highway Star returned for a repeat bid in the Grade 3 Go for Wand Handicap at the Big A, finishing a length behind Indulgent on December 2 to break the seven-figure mark in career earnings.

“We don’t want to put too much pressure on her,” said Ubillo. “She’s fully ready, so we’re hoping for something similar to last year. But she’s doing great.”

“She’s won over different distances, so I think anything between seven [furlongs] and a mile, she can handle, and she’ll have no problem,” he added. “She’s a fun horse to train. In the mornings, there’s something new, in a good way. Every time we ask her to do something different, she’s willing.”

Joe Rocco, Jr. picks up the mount aboard Highway Star in the Heavenly Prize, carded as Race 8. The pair will break from post 3.

Lady Sheila Stable’s New York-bred Holiday Disguise will try open company for the first time following four straight wins against state-breds, punctuated by an eight-month break after winning the seven-furlong Bouwerie on May 29 at Belmont. Last time out, the Harlan’s Holiday filly stalked a moderate pace in the Biogio’s Rose at a mile on February 8 before rolling home a 3 ¼-length winner for trainer Linda Rice.

“We had entered her several times before the Biogio’s Rose, but with the weather and quarantine and everything, we kept having to scratch,” said Rice. “I guess it’s a bit unorthodox to run a mile off that kind of a layoff when they’ve never run that distance before, but a mile was something we always thought would fit her. We were in the process of stretching her out last year when we had to stop on her, so I guess we’ve been able to kind of pick up where we left off.”

A $220,000 yearling purchase, Holiday Disguise is a 4-year-old half-sister to Midnight Disguise, who has won a pair of Kentucky Oaks preps at the Big A, including a 1 ¾-length score in the Busher last Saturday.

Junior Alvarado will ride Holiday Disguise from post 7.

Rice will also saddle Aron Yagoda’s Crimson Frost, who will be making her second stakes start following a distant sixth-place finish in the Thirty Eight Go Go on January 8 at Laurel Park, her first off-the-board result since finishing fifth in a 1 1/16-mile allowance in October. Following the Thirty Eight Go Go, the 4-year-old Stormy Atlantic filly returned to the Big A on February 18 to win an optional-claiming race by a length.

“She’s done well for us this fall and winter,” said Rice. “She seems to like Aqueduct. She didn’t seem to like the two turns at Laurel. Here, she gets a big, sweeping turn and I think she prefers that.”

Crimson Frost will have the services of Trevor McCarthy from post 4.

Thirty Eight Go Go winner Bishop’s Pond will try to win her second straight stakes on the dirt for the Jason Servis barn. The 6-year-old Curlin mare raced exclusively on the turf until September, when she won a allowance at a mile and 70 yards by four lengths at Delaware Park. Less than three weeks later, she finished fifth in the Grade 1 Beldame, 10 ¼ lengths behind Elate, and returned to the turf to finish fifth in the Forever Together on November 25 at Aqueduct.

“Her dirt form is good,” said Servis. “She’s been kind of a surprise. She’s two for three on dirt and she ran into a really good filly in the Beldame. But, she can run well on the dirt, and you can’t win if you ain’t in.”

Bishop’s Pond will be ridden by Manny Franco from post 2.

Rounding out the field are Interborough winner Divine Miss Grey for Corms Racing Stable and trainer Danny Gargan; George and Stephanie Autry’s Frost Wise, winner of the Bay Ridge on January 18 and second in the Biogio’s Rose last time out; Juddmonte Farm’s Boule, second in the Interborough on January 15 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; and Leonard C. Green’s Inconclusive, who crossed the wire a troubled fifth in the January 21 Ladies Handicap before being elevated to fourth via disqualification.

By Najja Thompson —-

Vulcan’s Forge primed and ready for Stymie

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Set to make his second start of the year since finishing second in the Grade 3 Toboggan, Vulcan’s Forge for owners William and Corinne Heiligbrodt and Team Valor International will headline a field of seven in the $150,000 Stymie for 4-year-olds and up at one mile on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

One of four stakes races on the day, highlighted by the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, the Stymie will kick off an All-Stakes Late Pick 4 preceding the $150,000 Heavenly Prize followed by the Grade 3, $300,000 Tom Fool.

A 5-year-old progeny of Giant’s Causeway in the care of trainer Todd Pletcher, Vulcan’s Forge returns to a one-mile distance for the Stymie after cutting back to seven furlongs in the Toboggan, in which he stalked early before moving seven-wide at the top of the stretch with a furious finish to run second.

“We thought he ran well in the Toboggan,” said Pletcher. “We were hoping for a hot pace setup and we thought he closed really well. Since that race he’s comeback and looked good. We think returning back to a mile should benefit him and we’re not going to change his style. We’re going to let him run his race.”

With two wins, a second and a third in five starts at the distance, Vulcan’s Forge will retain the services of Junior Alvarado as the pair will depart from post 6.

Also stretching out in distance and looking to capitalize off a second-place finish in a graded stakes is Fellowship for trainer Kenneth Decker and Jacks or Better Farm.

Last out, the 5-year-old son of Awesome Course recorded a career-high 97 Beyer Speed Figure in the Grade 3 General George on February 17 at Laurel Park. Trailing early, Fellowship closed fast to come up just short late to lose by a neck.

“He’s come out of it his last race real good,” said Decker “Last Saturday he had a little light work and he looks like he’s coming along just fine. We hope not to be too far back, but he always runs his race and he tends to take himself back. Hopefully we’ll get a good trip and see what happens with the added distance.”

Drawing post 7, regular rider Steve Hamilton will be in the irons.

Looking to pick up his second consecutive stakes win after capturing the Jazil on January 20 at the Big A is Backsideofthemoon for Lake Lonely Racing and trainer Leo O’Brien.

The 6-year-old ridgling by Malibu Moon has two wins from seven starts at Aqueduct with one second-place finish and a pair of thirds.

“He’s doing good,” said O’Brien. “I suppose you could think that because he’s won a couple races on the surface that he likes it here, but he’s just a nice horse. I don’t think we’ll be too far back, but he loves a challenge and having a target to run at. Hopefully he’ll get a good trip and things work out.”

Reunited with Kendrick Carmouche who was aboard for his victory in the Jazil, Backsideofthemoon will leave from post 3.

Rounding out the field is Godolphin’s Watershed who will look to bounce back after finishing seventh in the Queens County on December 23; Harlan Punch for owner and trainer David Jacobson in search of first stakes win following back-to-back allowance victories at the Big A; and Hit It Once More for trainer Gary Sciacca and owner Yellow Moon Stable entering off a victory in the Haynesfield on February 17.