Aqueduct Racetrack Notes

NYRA PRESS OFFICE —-

Lifetime of Chance garners 87 BSF for NYSSS Times Square victory
G2 Wood Memorial-winner Lord Miles works for G1 Kentucky Derby; G1-winner White Abarrio on point for G3 Westchester
Sterling Silver could target $125K Dancin Renee following open company allowance score
Busher Invitational winner Shidabhuti works half-mile

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – D.J. Stable’s Lifetime of Chance made his first outing for Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse a winning one, scoring a determined neck victory in Saturday’s $200,000 NYSSS Times Square, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired sophomores. The effort was awarded an 87 Beyer Speed Figure.

Shane Tripp, Casse’s Belmont Park-based assistant, said the New York-bred son of The Lieutenant was feeling good the morning after his first stakes victory.

“He came back good and ate up his breakfast this morning,” said Tripp. “He’s a cool, sweet horse and he’s nice to be around.”

The bay colt earned his Times Square victory in stalking fashion under jockey Dylan Davis, closing from 2 1/2 lengths back in third-of-7 to challenge pacesetter East Coast Girl for the lead at the top of the lane. He came under left-handed encouragement from Davis and veered out into the path of retreating rival Ten Cent Town, but straightened out for the final drive to the wire and collared a stubborn East Coast Girl at the eighth pole. Lifetime of Chance kept on well to the finish to hold off a late rally from Bank Frenzy and cross the wire first in a final time of 1:18.65.

Tripp said he expects Lifetime of Chance, the second stakes-winner from the lone Northern Hemisphere crop of The Lieutenant, will relish a two-turn configuration in the future.

“I think he wants to go around two turns and he’s a little better with somebody in front of him,” said Tripp. “I think when Dylan went left-handed it kind of caught him off guard a little bit, too.”

Lifetime of Chance entered the Times Square from a visually-impressive maiden score at sixth asking for his former conditioner Linda Rice, posting a 16-length victory against fellow state-breds after dueling for the early lead and drawing clear through the turn and into the stretch. That effort was awarded a career-best 91 Beyer. His other stakes finish was a third behind General Banker as a maiden in the NYSSS Great White Way in December.

Out of the Storm Cat mare Janetstickettocats, who is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner and Grade 1 producer Runway Model, Lifetime of Chance is a half-brother to graded stakes-winner Lucky Player.

***

G2 Wood Memorial-winner Lord Miles works for G1 Kentucky Derby; G1-winner White Abarrio on point for G3 Westchester

Vegso Racing Stable’s Kentucky homebred Lord Miles is training forwardly for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby slated for May 6 at Churchill Downs following his 59-1 upset score on April 8 in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the Curlin colt returned to his Gulfstream Park base the day after the Wood Memorial. He worked a half-mile in 47.05 seconds Friday in company with stakes-placed Florida-bred sophomore colt Apocalypso.

“He went well. It was his first breeze back since the Wood and he worked a half-mile in good order,” Joseph, Jr. said. “He’ll come back with one more breeze this week before shipping to Kentucky.”

Lord Miles was a game Wood Memorial winner, prevailing in a dramatic battle to the wire while racing to the outside of runner-up Hit Show with regally-bred maiden Dreamlike staying on gamely at the rail for third. The improving bay, piloted to victory by Paco Lopez, survived both a claim of foul from Manny Franco, aboard Hit Show, and a stewards’ inquiry to retain the nose victory.

Joseph, Jr. said the Wood Memorial effort was a marked improvement on Lord Miles’ fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 11.

“He was obviously more into the race earlier. He didn’t really come off the bridle,” Joseph, Jr. said. “Paco was able to break and get a pretty good spot throughout the race, so that helped a lot. He showed a lot of grit to fend off those horses. He got bumped a couple times and he still kept finding more.”

Lord Miles earned a career-best 93 Beyer for his Wood Memorial win, but Joseph, Jr. said the bay will need to reach another level in Louisville.

“Hopefully, that win will give him some confidence,” Joseph, Jr. said. “He’s going to need to improve again in the Derby, but he’s by Curlin and they tend to get better as time goes on.”

Joseph, Jr. has saddled two previous Derby runners, including Ny Traffic [8th, 2020] and last year’s Grade 1 Florida Derby-winner, White Abarrio, who finished 16th in a race won by 80-1 shot Rich Strike.

Lopez, whose best Derby result was aboard Ny Traffic, retains the mount.

Joseph, Jr. said Arindel’s Florida homebred Knox, who finished eighth in the Wood Memorial, will target a starter allowance event at Belmont.

C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable’s White Abarrio was scratched from the Grade 1 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets on Wood Memorial Day after spiking a temperature upon shipping up from Florida.

The 4-year-old Race Day colt breezed a half-mile in 50.58 Thursday over the Belmont dirt training track.

Joseph Jr. said White Abarrio will target the one-turn mile Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester on May 5 as a prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 10 at Belmont Park.

“He’s doing well. He’s going to work back one more time this week,” Joseph, Jr. said. “He’s been fine and in good order. He’s on target for the Westchester, which looks like it will be a competitive race.”

The Westchester is likely to attract a salty field with graded-stakes winners Repo Rocks [Jamie Ness], Weyburn [Jimmy Jerkens] and Zandon [Chad Brown] among the possible contenders along with the graded stakes-placed Expressman [Todd Pletcher] and stakes-winner Dr Ardito [Brown].

Joseph, Jr. said that impressive maiden winner Violet Gibson, who is nominated to the $100,000 Memories of Silver on April 29 at the Big A, will instead stay in Florida and point to the $75,000 Honey Ryder, a one-mile turf test for sophomore fillies on May 6 at Gulfstream.

An Irish homebred for Michael J. Ryan’s St. Croix Bloodstock, the Expert Eye bay scored a head victory in a 7 1/2-furlong maiden special weight over firm Gulfstream turf on March 11. She worked a half-mile Saturday in 50.50 over dirt at the Palm Meadows Training Center.

“She won quite nicely first time out. She really kicked in the last sixteenth and just got there at the wire, but we’ll likely stick at Gulfstream for now,” Joseph, Jr. said.

Violet Gibson is out of the Perfect Soul mare Soul of Houdini, who is a half-sister to 2010 Grade 3 Gotham-winner Awesome Act and stakes-winner Fastest Magician.

***

Sterling Silver could target $125K Dancin Renee following open company allowance score

Mark T. Anderson’s multiple graded-stakes placed New York-bred Sterling Silver made a triumphant return to the Empire State, launching a devastating stretch rally to capture the Aqueduct Racetrack Saturday finale, a seven-furlong open-company allowance test over the main track.

Sterling Silver, a 4-year-old Cupid filly, broke from the rail under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano and saved ground in behind a wall of horses down the backstretch. She was fourth, nearly five lengths from the front at the stretch call, but surged through the final furlong to collar 33-1 longshot Chasing Cara and win by three-quarters of a length over fellow late-closer To a T. The victory garnered an 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I was really happy with that effort. She actually got caught down on the inside and Javier had a pretty strong hold of her going down the backstretch,” trainer Tom Albertrani said. “It probably gave her more to do at the end, but it showed what a strong kick she has. She finished up the last eighth of a mile with a really nice surge.”

Saturday’s conquest was Sterling Silver’s first start in New York since a distant third in the Grade 3 Gallant Bloom in September at Belmont at the Big A. Since then, she finished ninth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on November 5 at Keeneland before making her 2023 debut on March 11 at Tampa Bay Downs in a seven-furlong handicap, finishing a distant fourth after sitting close to a fast pace.

Prior to the Gallant Bloom, Sterling Silver earned graded black type when third in the Grade 3 Victory Ride in July at Belmont and a late-closing second in the Grade 2 Prioress in September at Saratoga Race Course. At state-bred stakes level, she won the Franklin Square last January at the Big A and was a 4 1/4-length winner of the seven-furlong Bouwerie in May at Belmont.

Albertrani said Saturday’s winning effort was reminiscent of the Prioress.

“She made a similar late move that day where she was far off the pace and made one big run at the end,” Albertrani said. “At Tampa, she probably needed that race. She was chasing a really fast pace and was too close to the front runner and got a little tired in that race. She got something out of it to go forward to the race yesterday.”

Albertrani expressed interest in pointing Sterling Silver to the six-furlong $125,000 Dancin Renee for state-bred fillies and mares on June 25 at Belmont Park, but suggested she could start once before then.

“We’ll see what kind of schedule we can get her on before that,” Albertrani said.

Sterling Silver has raced twice beyond seven furlongs, including fifth-place finishes last year in both the one-turn mile Busher Invitational at Aqueduct and the Grade 1 Ashland going 1 1/16-miles at Keeneland.

“I don’t think she really wants to go beyond seven-eighths. Three-quarters to seven-eighths is her thing,” Albertrani said. “We tried stretching her out a couple times. The Ashland was maybe a tall order. Tyler Gaffalione rode her in the Ashland and said that she probably doesn’t want to go that far.”

Albertrani did not rule out an eventual return to graded level for Sterling Silver, who boasts an overall record of 12-4-1-2 and earnings of $372,188.

“Anything is possible. As long as she keeps her form intact, I’m sure there will be lots of opportunities,” Albertrani said. “She’s progressed well from 3-to-4. We gave her a little time off in Florida to give her the chance to put some muscle back on and give her a breather. Her first race since the Breeders’ Cup at Tampa was just a good race to get her started for this season. It all worked out well.”

Bred by Mallory Mort and Karen Mort, Sterling Silver is out of the Distorted Humor mare Sheet Humor, whose dam was graded stakes winner Sheets. Sterling Silver was a frugal $13,000 purchase from the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase.

***

Busher Invitational winner Shidabhuti works half-mile

Peter Brant’s graded stakes-placed Shidabhuti, who was last seen finishing third in the Grade 3 Gazelle on April 8 for conditioner Chad Brown, had her first work back on Saturday over the Belmont Park main track, covering a half-mile in 49.92 seconds in company with stakes-winner Occult.

With Shidabhuti on the outside, the pair completed their exercise just after 6 a.m. under dense clouds with a handful of other horses on-track.

Shidabhuti earned 50 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs for her victory in the Busher Invitational victory here on March 4 over a muddy and sealed main track. She earned an additional 30 points when third in the Gazelle, giving her enough total points to be guaranteed a place in the Oaks starting gate.

Despite her ensured eligibility, Brown said he is still finalizing a decision on the filly’s Oaks status.

“The work went fine and I will speak to Mr. Brant Sunday about it, see how she comes out of the work, and make a decision from there,” said Brown following the breeze on Saturday.

The Kentucky Oaks will feature a maximum field of 14, and several stars are still on the outside looking in, including reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Filly and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies-winner Wonder Wheel, who would need one defection to make it into the starting gate.

Among Brown’s other horses on the Saturday work tab was Grade 1-winner Zandon, who has not raced since finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets in December. The son of Upstart had worked consistently at Payson Park Training Center in Florida since February before shipping north to record a half-mile in 48.44 seconds over the Belmont main track. It was the second-fastest of 49 recorded works for that distance Saturday.

Brown said Zandon could target the Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester on May 5, a race that could also see the Brown-trained New York-bred stakes-winner Dr Ardito make his next appearance.

“He’s doing fine and he’s nominated to the Westchester, so we’ll see,” Brown said of Zandon. “It looks like he’s training good towards [his next start].”

Brown, who has won the training title at the past seven Belmont spring/summer meetings, including last year with a record 47 wins, appears poised for another strong showing at this year’s meet with a host of horses pointing towards stakes engagements.

His upcoming stakes possibles include the two-time winner Signal From Noise [Grade 3 Ruffian, May 6]; Grade 3 Bernard Baruch Handicap-winner Emaraaty [$150,000 Elusive Quality, May 6]; and multiple graded stakes-winner Rockemperor [Grade 2 Fort Marcy, May 6].

Brown also indicated he expects to have starters in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay on May 5, as well as the Grade 3 Beaugay on May 7.

The 40-day Belmont spring/summer meet, which will feature 54 stakes races worth $15.57 million in total purses, will open on Thursday, May 4 and continue through Sunday, July 9.