Sassy Agnes goes for fourth straight stakes win in Saturday’s NYSS Fifth Avenue

By Brian Bohl —-

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Beach Haven Thoroughbreds’ Sassy Agnes will look to close her 2-year-old year on a high note with a fourth consecutive stakes win, competing against a six-horse field in Saturday’s 34th running of the New York Stallion Series’ $150,000 Fifth Avenue Division for state-bred juvenile fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Linda Rice, Sassy Agnes has finished in the money in each of her last four starts since running seventh in her debut on August 1 at Saratoga Race Course, including a 3-for-3 record against stakes competition with all wins coming at the Fifth Avenue’s six-furlong distance.

The Central Banker filly won both the Lady Finger on September 8 and the Shesastonecoldfox on October 22 at Finger Lakes. Last out, Sassy Agnes recorded a 1 ¼-length gate-to-wire win in the Key Cents on November 23 at Aqueduct, earning a field-high 77 Beyer Speed Figure.

Junior Alvarado will have the call from post 4.

Party Like Grandma, one of three entrants for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, will be making her fifth career start and seeks her third win to add to her debut victory on July 12 at Finger Lakes at 5 ½ furlongs. The Desert Party filly then stretched out to 6 ½ furlongs in her first stakes appearance, posting a 1 ¼-length score in the Seeking the Ante on August 24 at Saratoga.

A stumble at the start hindered her in the Joseph A. Gimma on September 19 at Belmont Park, contributing to a fifth-place finish. Party Like Grandma responded with a third-place effort, as the favorite, in the Shesastonecoldfox.

Englehart, who co-owns Party Like Grandma along with Flower City Racing, Christopher Meyer and Rich Spiesman, said a nearly two-month respite should help her be ready for her first start on the Big A’s main track.
“We gave her a bit of a break from her last start trying to build up her energy again,” Englehart said. “She’s really been doing well since she came down to Belmont. We’re looking forward to seeing her in this race.”

Dylan Davis will pick up the mount, drawing post 1.

Her stablemate, Roddy Valente’s Cartwheelin Lulu, also has earned stakes blacktype in her young career, building on a maiden-breaking four-length victory on August 16 at Finger Lakes with a 1 1/2-length win in the Joseph A. Gimma at seven furlongs on the Big Sandy track labeled fast, earning a 64 Beyer.

The daughter of Bustin Stones finished fifth in the Maid of the Mist on October 20 [with a 68 Beyer] at one mile and will now be cutting back in distance. After registering five breezes at Belmont since November’s first week, Englehart said the Fifth Avenue was also a good spot because of the location.

“I’m not sure if coming back in the mile race; that might not be her thing overall, but she ran two numbers that were really good,” Englehart said. “It’s a spot that makes sense for her; we just wanted to go into this race and try to give her a good shot at winning.”

Manny Franco will ride from post 6.

L.A. Page is the least experienced of Englehart’s trio, making her third start. The Honorable Dillon filly won at first asking on September 14 before an eighth-place effort when stepping up to stakes company in the Maid of the Mist.

Owned by Englehart and Neal Allread, L.A. Page will also be cutting back to the same distance in which she won by 2 ½ lengths in her debut on a fast Belmont main track.

“She’s consistent with me and my team in the mornings,” Englehart said. “Whether or not she’ll be a stakes-caliber horse for us is yet to be determined, but she gives me all the impressions that she’s ready for this race and she’ll be ready to run her race.”

Rajiv Maragh will be the irons from post 2.

She’s So Shea D, a maiden winner on October 11 at Belmont before running last-of-12 in the Key Cents, will again take aim at an Aqueduct stakes sprint, drawing post 3 in tandem with Jose Lezcano for trainer Jason Servis.

Forgotten Hero, a Mission Impazible filly, earned a lofty 71 Beyer in winning her first start on November 4 in six-furlong sprint at the Big A for trainer and co-owner John Toscano, Jr. Mike Luzzi will ride in her stakes debut, drawing post 5.