Aqueduct: Saturday Stakes Previews

By Najja Thompson —-

Fully Vested headlines Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In search of his first stakes win, Godolphin’s Fully Vested will headline a field of seven in the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the outer turf.

One of three stakes races on Saturday’s card, alongside the Grade 3, $400,000 Long Island and Grade 3, $200,000 Discovery the Aqueduct Turf Sprint is carded as Race 7.

A 5-year-old homebred gelding of Discreet Cat in the care of conditioner Tom Albertrani, Fully Vested made his first nine starts on the dirt before trying turf last January at Monmouth Park where he finished second in an optional-claiming race.

Following up with a second-place finish over an off track in a race that was taken off the turf, Fully Vested returned to the green to win a second-level allowance 5 ½ furlong sprint on August 31 at Saratoga Race Course, matching his career high 100 Beyer Speed Figure on October 5 in the Belmont Turf Sprint, where he finished third in his most recent start.

“He’s a horse that’s really made a big improvement on the grass since we’ve changed surfaces with him,” said Albertrani. “He ran a huge race in the Turf Sprint last time at Belmont. He may not be in the category to be like a Breeders’ Cup-type horse, but this race as a great spot to bring him back in.”

With Jose Lezcano returning aboard who rode Fully Vested to his last win at the Spa, the pair will depart from post 5.

Shipping in from Parx Racing for trainer Kathleen Demasi is Dubini for Pewter Stable.

The 6-year-old gelded son of Gio Ponti has made five starts this year with one victory in the Laurel Dash in September and a pair of second-place finishes and one third.

With Kendrick Carmouche in the irons, Dubini will leave from post 6.

Cutting back in distance following a seventh-place finish in the one-mile Artie Schiller in November at the Big A is Zayat Stables Gidu for conditioner Todd Pletcher.
The 4-year-old son of Frankel has one win from five starts this year. Drawing the rail, Gidu will make his first start at six furlongs since running fourth in the Belmont Turf Sprint Championship on October 5 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard.

Rounding out the field is Vici for Big Hands Stables and trainer David Conk entering off a third-place optional claiming win on October 25 (post 7, Jose Ortiz); Nice Tune for trainer Herold Whylie (post 2, Joey Martinez) and Lonhtwist (post 4, Mike Luzzi).

Motion sends trio of competitors for Saturday’s G3 Long Island
By Brian Bohl —-

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Graded stakes-winner Si Que Es Buena comprises one of three contenders for trainer Graham Motion who will compete as part of a full field of Saturday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Long Island for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Continuing the Thanksgiving Racing Festival, the 63rd running of the Long Island, at 1 3/8 miles on the inner turf, will highlight three stakes on the 10-race card, including the Grade 3, $200,000 Discovery for sophomores at 1 1/8 miles and the $125,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship at six furlongs on the outer turf.

Takaya Shimakawa’s Si Que Es Buena made her North American debut last year at the Big A, where she ran fourth in the 2018 edition of the Long Island before winning the Via Borghese in December at Gulfstream Park. She followed with a one-length score in the Grade 3 La Prevoyante at the same track in January before Motion gave her nearly eight months off before returning to run sixth in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor on October 12 at Woodbine.

The 6-year-old daughter of Equal Stripes, who was a group stakes-winner in Peru before shipping north, is credited wit ha 7-3-1 record in 16 career starts. Her name, Spanish for “yes, that is good,” has reflected the Argentinian-bred’s performances, where she was registered Beyer Speed Figures in excess of 90 in her last three starts.

“She ran great in Florida last winter. We brought her back off the layoff in Canada which was tough, but she still ran pretty well,” Motion said.

Jockey Joel Rosario will pick up the mount from the inside post.

Her stablemate, Empressof the Nile, is coming off a stakes win at Aqueduct earlier this month, rallying from eighth to capture the Zagora at 1 ½ miles on the turf on November 3.

Her 5-year-old campaign included a win against optional claimers on August 1 at Saratoga Race Course and followed wit ha strong second, three-quarters of a length back to Mrs. Sippy, in the Grade 2 Glens Falls on August 31 at the Spa. She ran last of seven in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl on October 6 at Belmont before rebounding in the Zagora.

Owned by Madaket Stables, Manganaro Bloodstock and Robert Masiello, Empressof the Nile has been training at Motion’s base in Fair Hill, working in company with Si Que Es Buena.

“The Flower Bowl was a bit of a head scratcher, I don’t know what happened that day,” Motion said. “She’s been a great, lovely mare. Her and Si Que Es Buena work together and make good workmates.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be in the irons from post 11.

Mercilla, sixth in the Zagora last out, started her career 2-for-2, including a debut victory in France in her lone race as a juvenile. The Arch sophomore bested allowance company in her second start and her first on U.S. soil in May at Pimlico and will be making her graded stakes debut, with her best previous stakes finish a runner-up effort in the Fasig-Tipton Virginia Oaks on August 31 at Colonial Downs.

“I thought she ran a great race [in the Zagora]. I thought we were reaching a bit, but her start that day was very encouraging,” Motion said.

Eric Cancel will have the call from post 2.

Moyglare Stud Farm’s Homeland Security, second to Empress of the Nile in the Zagora, will get another chance to best her rival as one of two entrants for trainer Christophe Clement, also has Wegetsdamunnys, the eighth-place finisher in that contest, in as an also-eligible.

“They are each coming into this start coming out of the Zagora where I thought they both ran good races,” Clement said. “Homeland Security was able to make a good run and finish strong where Wegetsdamunnys encountered a little traffic and was further back, but I thought also ran well despite the circumstances.

“I think they each have put forth solid campaigns this year,” he added. “Heading into the Long Island, the weather hasn’t really cooperated but expect both to race and compete on Saturday. They both appreciate distance, so hopefully they’ll work out good trips.”

Wegetsdamunnys earned blacktype in the John Hettinger, finishing third on September 22 at Belmont. The 4-year-old will look for her first win in five starts overall at Aqueduct should she run.

Homeland Security has finished in the money in three of her last four starts, winning the Unbridled Essence on August 24 at Monmouth Park before her solid performance in the Zagora. The 5-year-old Smart Strike mare drew post 10 with Junior Alvarado set to ride.

Romantic Pursuit made a big step up in class when fourth in the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational on September 7 at Belmont in the final leg of NYRA’s inaugural Turf Triple series, earning a personal-best 85 Beyer in the process for the 1 3/8-mile route. She followed with a third-place showing in the Grade 2 Sands Point that garnered an 84 on October 12 at 1 1/8 miles. The Kiaran McLaughlin trainee will again stretch out to the Long Island distance, drawing post 8 with Dylan Davis set to ride.

Lift Up, conditioned by Michael Dickinson, became a graded stakes winner with a 1 ¼-length victory in the Grade 3 Maple Leaf on November 2 at Woodbine. She will go for her second straight graded stakes win, exiting from post 9 in tandem with Joe Bravo.

Trainer Tom Proctor has two entries: Decorating, off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Dowager on October 20 at Keeneland, will make her first Aqueduct appearance, drawing post 5 with Jose Lezcano set to ride.

More Fun Again, third in the Grade 3 Dr. James Penny Memorial on July 2 at Parx, will be seeking her first win. Jockey Julio Correa will depart from post 7.

Rounding out the field is a pair from Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in Pivotal Connection, an English-bred making her first graded stakes appearance [post 12, Benjamin Hernandez] and Argentian-bred Entropia, who will be racing for the first time outsie of her native country [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche]; Beau Belle, seventh in the Zagora and fifth in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl in her last two starts, for trainer Tom Albertrani [post 6, Castro Rodriguez]; and My Sister Nat, looking for her first North American win in her fourth start since arriving from her native France, for conditioner Chad Brown [ post 4, Jose Ortiz].

Another Broad and Team Win, both trained by Todd Pletcher, were entered for the main-track only.

Performer faces dual graded stakes-winner Tax in G3 Discovery

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Performer, a winner of three straight races, has gradually climbed up the ladder in his last few starts and will take things up a notch when making his stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Discovery over the main track at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 1 1/8-mile event is the final graded stakes event on the NYRA calendar for 3-year-olds and pays homage to the 1935 Horse of the Year who captured three consecutive editions of the Brooklyn Handicap and Whitney Handicap from 1934-36. His notable accomplishments on the racetrack earned him Hall of Fame honors in 1969.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, who saddled Gold Fever to a Discovery triumph in 1996, Performer was third in his career debut as a 2-year-old last November at Aqueduct before getting some extended time off. He returned a winner when breaking his maiden at Belmont Park by three-quarters of a length in June before defeating winners at Saratoga the following month recording a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

Owned by Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm, Performer arrives at the Discovery off of a second-level allowance win going 1 1/16-miles over the Belmont Park main track.

“So far, so good. All of his races have been good, even when he ran last year it was a good race,” McGaughey said. “This was the next stop down the line so it’s what I’ve been planning on. He seems to have done really well since his race at the end of September. The space is good, the works have been good. A mile and an eighth around two turns is a new ball game, but I think he’s up for it. We’ve liked him all along and so far he hasn’t disappointed us.”

A homebred, Performer is a son of Speightstown out of the graded stakes-placed A.P. Indy broodmare Protesting and is a direct fourth-generation descendant of undefeated champion filly Personal Ensign.

McGaughey said that following the Discovery, Performer will receive a freshening for a 4-year-old campaign.

“He’ll get the winter off so hopefully when we bring him back he’ll make us a nice 4-year-old,” McGaughey said.

Jockey Joel Rosario, a four-time winner of the Discovery including the past three editions, has been aboard Performer for his trio of wins and retains the mount when leaving from post 6.

Performer will be squaring off against dual graded stakes winner Tax, who won the Grade 3 Withers and Grade 2 Jim Dandy on the NYRA circuit this season.
Owned by R. A. Hill Stable in partnership with Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch and Corms Racing Stable, the gelded son of Arch conditioned by Danny Gargan has not raced since finishing seventh in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers on August 24 at Saratoga.

Since said effort, he has recorded a series of works over the Belmont training track including a half-mile breeze in 47 seconds flat on November 15 – the fastest of 55 works at the distance.

Tax boasts the highest amount of lifetime earnings in the field, having banked $786,300 in a 9-3-2-1 career.

“He’s been training great and doing all that we can ask of him,” said Gargan, who claimed Tax for $50,000 after winning his second career start. “He’s been a really nice horse, we’re just blessed to have him in the barn. He’ll go to Florida for the winter and we’ll evaluate him from there. We expect him to show up and run well.”

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has been aboard Tax in his last three outings and will return to the saddle when breaking from post 1.

Shadwell Farms’ Mubarmaj makes his stakes debut for trainer Chad Brown. After finishing third at a price in his career debut at Saratoga behind fellow Discovery aspirant En Wye Cee, the chestnut son of Curlin stretched out to a one-turn mile at Belmont Park where he led from gate to wire recording an 88 Beyer, a figure that he replicated when defeating winners over the Elmont oval next out.

Jockey Jose Ortiz will be aboard from post 2.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will look to extend his record number of Discovery victories to six when he saddles allowance winner En Wye Cee.

Owned by Waterford Stable, the homebred son of third-crop sire Declaration of War won his career debut at Saratoga going 6 ½ furlongs before stretching out to 1 1/16 miles to defeat winners at Belmont Park. En Wye Cee was third last out to stakes winner Gray Magician in a second-level allowance over the Keeneland main track.

Jockey Joe Bravo will be aboard from post 4.

Completing the field are Monmouth Park allowance winner Air Attack [post 3, Dylan Davis], stakes winner Majid [post 5, TBA], dual Panamanian Group 1 winner Carlos L [post 7, Kendrick Carmouche], and stakes-placed Grumps Little Tots [post 8, Jose Lezcano].