Aqueduct: Saturday Stakes Previews

Posted On 20 Apr 2023

Lifetime of Chance set for stakes debut in NYSSS Times Square —-

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – D.J. Stable’s Lifetime of Chance, a 16-length maiden winner last out, will make his stakes debut in Saturday’s $200,000 Times Square division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series at 6 1/2-furlongs for eligible New York-sired sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The New York-bred The Lieutenant colt, conditioned through his first six starts by Linda Rice, opened up a 10-length lead at the stretch call in a seven-furlong state-bred maiden special weight on March 18 here and drew off impressively to stop the clock in 1:24.90. The eye-catching score garnered a field-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

Lifetime of Chance was one of a number of D.J. Stable trainees transferred to trainer Mark Casse once the Hall of Fame conditioner opened up his New York-based stable at Belmont Park.

Prior to breaking his maiden, Lifetime of Chance finished in the money four times, including a third in the NYSSS Great White Way to returning rival General Banker in December. He was an uncharacteristic distant fourth on February 9 going six furlongs in a state-bred maiden special weight.

“His last race was very impressive and overpowering,” Casse said. “I understand he had excuses in his prior races, so if he can repeat or get close to that performance, he’s going to be awful tough. Linda did a great job with him and I hope to be able to do the same.”

Casse, who recently earned his 15th Sovereign Award as Canada’s Outstanding Trainer, was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2016. He has teamed up with D.J. Stable for numerous stakes successes, including with Wonder Wheel, the reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, who needs one defection to draw into the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs.

Wonder Wheel, who is slated to breeze Thursday at Churchill, is currently 15th on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 48 qualifying points. After finishing sixth last out in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland, Wonder Wheel is among a number of star fillies, including graded-stakes winner Julia Shining, yet to confirm one of 14 spots in the Oaks starting gate.

“It’s hard to believe she’s outside looking in right now. She’s the Breeders’ Cup winner and a multiple Grade 1-winner, but right now we need a defection,” Casse said. “I don’t know why our filly didn’t run better last time, but she’s run seven times and had six great efforts. She’s due one. She’s ready. She’s probably going to breeze tomorrow.”

Lifetime of Chance, a half-brother to graded-stakes winner Lucky Player, is out of the Storm Cat mare Janetstickettocats, who is a half-sister to dual graded-stakes winner Runway Model. The $135,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase was bred in New York by Destiny Oaks of Ocala.

Dylan Davis picks up the mount from the injured Jose Lezcano from post 3.

Seacoast Thoroughbreds of N.E.’s New York-homebred General Banker [post 4, Eric Cancel] will cut back in distance following a troubled 10th in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 8 at the Big A.

A model of consistency, the James Ferraro trainee finished third in three prior Kentucky Derby preps at Aqueduct – the Jerome, the Grade 3 Withers, and the Grade 3 Gotham.

The Central Banker colt graduated in style in the seven-furlong NYSSS Great White Way on December 17 in his eighth lifetime outing, besting a field of 11 by 8 1/2-lengths over a muddy and sealed Aqueduct main track.

The dark bay also showed talent over muddy and sealed going when rallying from 12th-of-14 in the Grade 3 Gotham on March 4 to land show honors in the one-turn mile by a nose over Eyeing Clover, who exited that race to win the Hot Springs at Oaklawn Park.

Ferraro said a return to the New York-sired classification and the prospect of a wet track prompted him to supplement the late-running colt.

“He might need easier company and they’re calling for rain, too,” Ferraro said. “You usually get a faster pace sprinting. Eric Cancel rode him going a mile and an eighth [in the Withers] and thought it might have been too long for him.”

Ferraro noted the difficult trip last out did not benefit General Banker’s chances as a 46-1 longshot, but said his charge has exited the race in good order.

“That [trouble] didn’t help but he still would have had to jump up his game in that race,” Ferraro said. “He’s a pretty sturdy horse. He likes the cool, spring air. He’s a good doer. He eats up everything and came out good.”

Mr. Amore Stable’s New York homebred East Coast Girl [post 1, Jose Ortiz] graduated by 11 1/4-lengths at third asking in a six-furlong state-bred maiden claiming sprint on January 27 at the Big A.

Trained by Kelly Breen, who recently secured his 1,000th career win, the Laoban bay exited that effort to finish a pacesetting second in an open-company six-furlong optional-claiming sprint won by Toxic Gray.

East Coast Girl, out of the stakes-placed City Place mare Myakka City, breezed three-eighths in 38.25 on April 7 over the Belmont dirt training track in his most recent preparation for his stakes debut.

Cedar Meadow’s Dr. Kraft [post 6, Jacqueline Davis] has hit the board in 5-of-6 starts – all at the Big A – including a narrow graduation at fourth asking in January in a state-bred maiden special weight traveling 6 1/2-furlogs over a muddy and sealed main track.

Trained by Chris Englehart, the bay son of The Lieutenant exited his maiden score to finish a game third in the one-mile Gander for New York-bred sophomores on February 25 after stumbling at the start.

Last out, Dr. Kraft, bred in the Empire State by Sequel Stallions New York, finished third in a one-mile state-bred optional-claimer on March 31.

The $50,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase, out of the Dixieland Band mare Princess Consort, is a half-brother to graded-stakes winner Waterway Run.

Rounding out the field are three-time winner Kerness [post 2, Ruben Silvera] for conditioner Jamie Ness; maiden winners Ten Cent Town [post 7, Manny Franco] for trainer William Morey and the Lisa Lewis-trained Bank Frenzy [post 5, Samy Camacho]; as well as Coach Pitino [post 8, Kendrick Carmouche], who will make his career debut off a series of works at Gulfstream Park for trainer Jorge Delgado.

The NYSSS Times Square is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s nine-race card, which also offers the $100,000 Woodhaven in Race 3. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct spring meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

Contact: Keith McCalmont

Regal Kingdom debuts for Motion in $100K Woodhaven

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jacques Dupuis, Jr. and Luke Bourque’s Regal Kingdom will make his first start for trainer Graham Motion in Saturday’s $100,000 Woodhaven at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Previously conditioned by Ron Faucheux, who recently left training to become a jockey’s agent, the Louisiana-bred Regal Kingdom enters the one-mile turf test for sophomores off a pair of grass triumphs at Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots.

After a fourth-out graduation against fellow state-breds going the Woodhaven distance on February 23 at the New Orleans oval, Regal Kingdom covered the same amount of ground to defeat elder winners on March 26 while garnering a 69 Beyer Speed Figure.

Since arriving at Motion’s primary division at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Maryland, Regal Kingdom has recorded one work going an easy half-mile in 50.60 seconds over the all-weather surface last Saturday.

“He’s very classy and a very straightforward horse to be around,” Motion said. “We haven’t done a whole lot with him. We gave him an easy breeze over the weekend which he seemed to handle well. This race will be a big step for him, but having won a couple of races now, there aren’t as many options other than running in a stake.”

Motion also campaigned Regal Kingdom’s sire, Animal Kingdom, who won the 2011 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and 2013 Group 1 Dubai World Cup, and also produced 2022 Champion Female Turf Horse Regal Glory. He described Regal Kingdom as “very typical” of Animal Kingdom’s progeny.

“He has a similar look about him, maybe been a little more refined,” Motion said. “He’s also a 3-year-old, so he’s got a ways to go. He still has some growing up to do. He has a very similar good attitude and good disposition as Animal Kingdom had.”

Bred in the Pelican State by Clear Creek Stud and Warren Harang, Regal Kingdom is out of the Meadowlake mare Starinthemeadow, who produced dual Grade 1-winner Weemissfrankie. He was a $20,000 acquisition at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Junior Alvarado, who piloted 2017 Woodhaven winner Secretary of War, will pick up the mount aboard Regal Kingdom from post 1.

After saddling last year’s winner Unanimous Consent to a Woodhaven score, four-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Chad Brown will send out Neural Network [post 6, Manny Franco] and Belouni [post 4, Jose Ortiz].

Klaravich Stables’ Neural Network, by Cloud Computing, will make his turf debut following a victory against fellow New York-breds in the one-turn mile Gander on February 25 over the local main track. He was elevated to victory following the disqualification of Maker’s Candy, who was taken down after impeding Neural Network’s outside stretch bid.

A two-time winner from three starts, Neural Network was a five-length debut winner against state-breds on November 13 at the Big A before finishing fourth in the January 7 Jerome against open company. Bred in the Empire State by Milfer Farm, Neural Network is out of the Street Cry mare Lapinski, who is a half-sister to stakes winner Sunset Wish and was bought for $120,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale.

Belouni will seek to make amends following a seventh-place finish in Gulfstream Park’s Colonel Liam on March 4. The French-bred Fast Company colt was a two-time winner in his native country at seven furlongs and one mile, respectively. He is owned by Michael Dubb, Michael E. Kisber, Madaket Stables and Bill Rucker.

Stakes-placed Inflation Nation will make his 2023 debut, arriving off a third in the six-furlong Atlantic Beach on November 5 at the Big A for trainer Christophe Clement.

Owned by Louis Lazzinnaro and Michael Dubb, the son of Speightstown was a half-length winner at second asking in September at Saratoga Race Course before finishing a narrow fourth in the Grade 3 Futurity the following month at Belmont at the Big A, earning a field best 82 Beyer.

Inflation Nation is out of the Galileo mare Urban Ball, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner and producer Perfect Soul.

Dylan Davis, the pilot in 3-of-4 starts for Inflation Nation, will retain the mount from post 5.

Completing the field are Calumet Farm’s stakes-placed Winters Lion [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer Joe Sharp, and Cedar Meadow’s Penn National maiden winner High Strike [post 3, Jackie Davis] who makes his debut for trainer Chris Englehart.

The Woodhaven is carded as Race 3 on Saturday’s nine-race program which also features the $200,000 NYSSS Times Square in Race 8. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

-30-

Contact: Ryan Martin