Aqueduct Racetrack Notes 02/27

NYRA PRESS OFFICE —-

Aqueduct Racetrack Notes

G3 Gotham contender Sacrosanct already an ace for co-owner Net Birdie
Dutrow, Jr. leaning towards G3 Gotham for McAfee after Parx cross-entry
Pagode is lightly-raced entering G3 Gotham
Drexel Hill looks for more Kentucky Oaks points in Listed Busher
Bernietakescharge earns 97 Beyer Speed Figure for Heavenly Prize Invitational

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In May, bloodstock agent Clay Scherer was scouting horses for Jon Hansen’s partnership Net Birdie, and noticed a bay New York-bred colt by the promising young New York stallion Honest Mischief at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where he breezed an eighth of a mile in 10 seconds flat.

The colt’s physical and breeding led Scherer to approach Hansen about a year-end target for him before he even signed the ticket: the lucrative $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series in December at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“I went to the Ocala sales in March and April and didn’t buy anything,” Hansen recalled. “I didn’t go to the Timonium sale, but Clay called me and said, ‘This is our horse that we need to buy.’ Clay knows his stuff and I just put my faith in him. He was looking for a New York-bred, and had the Stallion Series on his radar. He told me, ‘our Super Bowl is in December, there’s a $500,000 race then.’”

The colt, bred by Burleson Farms, Mckenzie Bloodstock and Sequel Thoroughbreds, also attracted the eye of bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe, who was scouting horses for Sheila Rosenblum’s Lady Sheila Stable. With both groups interested, they partnered on the colt when he hammered for $260,000 and, with Schwing Thoroughbreds also on board, sent him to dual Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Brad Cox to begin his racing career.

With a trainer and even a stakes race already picked out for the horse, there was just one thing left to tackle before his debut in August at Saratoga Race Course: what would his name be?

“Sheila wanted to make sure he had a strong name, and Sacrosanct was a name she had reserved, but they wanted to make sure he was a special horse if they were going to give him that name,” Hansen explained. “They waited a bit to see if he was deserving of that name, and it ended up being that he was.”

Sacrosanct dazzled in that August debut, gliding to a 3 1/4-length score under Manny Franco to annex the six-furlong sprint against fellow New York-breds. The race marked the start of a thus-far flawless campaign, and was followed by a 12-length romp in the state-bred Bertram F. Bongard in September at Belmont at the Big A and another stakes triumph when stretched out to one mile for the Sleepy Hollow in October over the same oval.

Sacrosanct was a perfect 3-for-3, and Scherer’s circled date of December 14 for the seven-furlong Great White Way seemed less and less like a pipe dream. Sacrosanct would enter the starting gate as the odds-on favorite against seven rivals, and while the rallying longshot National Identity nearly tarnished Sacrosanct’s perfect ledger, the first part of a carefully planned fairy tale came true as Sacrosanct held on by a head to land the victory.

Hansen said the colt’s juvenile campaign could not have gone to plan any better.

“That was in May when Clay said, ‘that’s the target.’ It was the day we circled, and did I think it would happen? No, but that was Clay’s goal and target the whole time,” Hansen said. “I’m glad he knew about it, and Kerri was well aware of it, too.”

Now as a sophomore, the dream continues for Sacrosanct and his owners as he has emerged on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile for sophomores that awards the top-five finishers with 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points, respectively, towards the prestigious Grade 1 on the First Saturday in May.

“The plan was if he goes undefeated as a 2-year-old, he’s earned his right to go into open company and go onto the Derby trail as a 3-year-old,” Hansen said. “Once he did that, we picked the Withers, but he had a small foot issue come up the week before. We didn’t race him there, but now it’s cleared up and we’re primed and ready for Saturday.”

Hansen first began purchasing horses about a decade ago, and started out with his partners – who are all golf enthusiasts – at racetracks like Turf Paradise and Emerald Downs before working his way to the California and New York circuits.

“I fell in love with racing going to the Kentucky Derby every year with my brother and a big group of friends,” said Hansen, whose business ventures have him involved in the gas and oil industry and real estate, among others. “One year, we said, ‘let’s see if we can start buying horses,’ and it just grew from there.”

With 17 partners on Sacrosanct, Net Birdie is now on the path to the ultimate goal they all set out to achieve a decade ago: attending the Kentucky Derby to see their own horse compete.

“I’ll be honest, I haven’t slept all week,” Hansen said, with a laugh. “When I put the partnership together, the Derby has been what I’ve told the partners is the dream. I did tell them that it’s a very small chance, and I never in my life thought we’d be on the trail.”

Regardless of Saturday’s result, Sacrosanct has already proven a remarkable purchase, banking over $500,000 in just four outings thanks to the lucrative purses and bonuses he is eligible for as a New York-sired New York-bred in the Empire State.

“It’s a testament to the New York program, and I’d be shocked if we didn’t buy another New York-bred this year to try and replicate what we did last year,” Hansen said. “The program is too good to not try to do it again. The curtain is starting to get lifted and people are seeing the purses and bonuses are too good.”

Sacrosanct has already accomplished the first major achievement Hansen and his partners set out to reach last spring. Now, they are hoping Saturday will be the next step towards their goal of a lifetime as Franco pilots Sacrosanct [3-1ML] from post 4-of-10.

“That’s why we are all in the game: to dream big and to see what these animals can do,” Hansen said. “If you’re not in the game of horse racing for the Derby, I think you’re lying. I know that people pay millions of dollars to be in the position we are in and it’s just crazy to be here.”

The Gotham is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 10-race program which also features the Grade 3, $175,000 Tom Fool [Race 4], the Listed $200,000 Busher [Race 7] – a 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifier – and the Listed $150,000 Stymie [Race 6]. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

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Dutrow, Jr. leaning towards G3 Gotham for McAfee after Parx cross-entry

Trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. has cross-entered the promising colt McAfee in both Saturday’s one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham at Aqueduct Racetrack and the 1 1/16-mile $75,000 City of Brotherly Love on Tuesday at Parx Racing, and said Thursday morning his preference is to run in New York.

“I would like to run him here, so we’ll see on the day of,” Dutrow, Jr. said of the one-turn mile Gotham, which awards 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. “As long as he’s in the shape he’s in right now on Saturday, we’re going to run him here.”

McAfee is aiming to make his first start since a runner-up effort in a one-mile starter allowance on November 24 at Churchill Downs, which came 23 days after a debut graduation sprinting six furlongs over the same oval. McAfee was subsequently entered in the $150,000 Jerome on January 4 here, but scratched with a leg infection. He was then entered in a starter optional claiming tilt on February 14 here, but was again scratched.

“He’s been doing good. He had come up with a bad infection in his leg and the infection has been gone for quite a while, but the healing process has been slow,” Dutrow, Jr. said.

McAfee posted a half-mile work in 48.75 seconds on Monday over the Belmont Park dirt training track in his lone breeze since the Valentine’s Day scratch.

“He’s up against it in the Gotham for sure, but he might be talented enough to be able to do it,” Dutrow, Jr. said of the step up in class. “He should be OK.”

McAfee, by Cloud Computing and out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Sataves, is a half-brother to 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna and was purchased for $40,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Lane Luzzi has been named to ride from post 8 in the 10-horse Gotham, while Hall of Famer Joel Rosario is named from post 7 in the eight-horse City of Brotherly Love.

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Pagode is lightly-raced entering G3 Gotham

Bonne Chance Farm’s Kentucky homebred Pagode won his January 25 debut and now steps up for Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Gotham awards the top-five finishers 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Paulo Lobo, the Constitution chestnut closed to a nose victory over Discotheque sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs over the Turfway Park synthetic. Pagode switched leads late to get up and nail that rival at the wire, piloted by returning rider Luan Machado.

“This colt, he had very good works before his debut. He had a little trouble in the turn, and he overcame that trouble and still won the race,” said Lobo. “After the race, I gave him three good works. I think he is improving, I like this colt.”

Machado retains the mount from post 6 in the field of 10. The debut performance earned a 64 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He was lugging in a little bit, but in the end, Machado corrected him and he switched leads,” Lobo said. “He likes this horse because he used to work this horse in the mornings. He loves this horse.”

Of the Gotham field, the only other horse with just one race worth of experience is Garamond for trainer Chad Brown. The 10-horse field includes Sacrosanct, Scorching and Sand Devil, who already have three, two and one stakes wins, respectively.

“Of course it is a big jump, but they are babies still. Still growing, still improving, and you never know,” Lobo said. “I think the race is going to have good speed. He won here at six and a half, one turn. I liked the way this horse was working, and he won the race, but that day the track was kind of for the slow side, that’s why I think his number wasn’t great – but I think he is going to improve for Saturday.”

Pagode is out of the Harlan’s Holiday mare Pretty Girl, a Group 1-winner in her native Argentina going 10 furlongs on turf, who was also dual graded stakes-placed going two turns on grass in the U.S.

“His dam used to run one mile and a quarter in Argentina, she was a very good mare,” said Lobo.

***

Drexel Hill looks for more Kentucky Oaks points in Listed Busher

Legion Racing’s Drexel Hill has seven Kentucky Oaks qualifying points and looks to earn more in Saturday’s Listed $200,000 Busher, a one-turn mile for sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Busher, which awards 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers, is slated as Race 7 on Saturday’s lucrative Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham-card.

Trained by Whit Beckman, the Bolt d’Oro dark bay has contested two Oaks qualifying events going one mile and 70 yards at Fair Grounds Race Course, picking up six points for a third last out in the Silverbulletday on January 18 and one point for a fifth in the Untapable on December 21.

In the Silverbulletday, Drexel Hill traveled in second position within one-length of the early lead, finishing third defeated 2 3/4 lengths by pacesetting stablemate Simply Joking. Drexel Hill made her first four starts for trainer Barbara Minshall over Tapeta at Woodbine Racetrack, and she was off slow in her first start for Beckman in the Untapable. He equipped Drexel Hill with blinkers for the Silverbulletday, which will come off Saturday.

“She’s trained very well out of that last race and we are optimistic that she is going to run well,” said Beckman. “She is a pure racehorse. She does everything. Her first start with us was a little bit suspect because she got away real bad. We made a couple equipment adjustments, and once we did, I think we kind of overshot the mark a tick in the Silverbulletday with the blinkers.

“Taking off the blinkers, I think she can be much more rate-able, and hopefully it leaves her with plenty to finish with, if we can get her to back off the bit early,” Beckman added.

Beckman said the blinkers made Drexel Hill use too much early.

“They definitely made her too keen. She put herself way closer than I thought she would. That is not necessarily her run style,” Beckman said. “I think she is one that is going to rate back off the pace and make one long, sustained run.”

Drexel Hill still kept on well to the wire in the Silverbulletday to hold third.

“It was not an easy race and she dug in to hold on for third. She had every opportunity to back up further than she did, and she just kept on,” Beckman said. “If this weekend we use a little less early and a little more late, we should be in good shape.”

Drexel Hill, out of the winning Daaher mare Ascot Walk, was a $50,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“She pretty much came to me fairly well physically developed. She hasn’t changed a lot, kind of maintained the same condition, same weight, she hasn’t grown but some of them are just more precocious,” Beckman said. “I think she is one of those who didn’t change a lot, but is still very effective at what she does.”

Ben Curtis, who was aboard for the Silverbulletday, has the return call from post 3, tabbed at morning line odds of 6-1.

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Bernietakescharge earns 97 Beyer Speed Figure for Heavenly Prize Invitational

Robert D. Rosenthal and Bradford Bernstein’s New York homebred Bernietakescharge was a gate-to-wire 6 1/4-length winner versus open company in Saturday’s $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational, a one-turn mile test for older fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Domenick Schettino, the 4-year-old Take Charge Indy dark bay cruised through splits of 23.12 seconds, 46.36 and 1:11.56 on the fast dirt, completing the course in 1:38.53 under Romero Maragh. The performance earned a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She came out of the race in good shape,” said Schettino. “She ran really well. She was training well so we opted to go in that race instead of the seven-eighths in [Sunday’s state-bred] Broadway. Distance wise, a mile, a mile and an eighth, is better for her. She was training well, so we took a shot.”

Bernietakescharge went off at odds of 17-1 in the field of five, earning the elusive stakes score in her sixth attempt, most notably after hitting the board in last year’s local state-bred Franklin Square, Maddie May and East View.

Bernietakescharge, out of the stakes-winning Freud mare Berning Rose, is a half-sister to sophomore Bernieandtherose, a New York homebred for the same connections who took the state-bred East View on February 8 here in her first stakes start.

“They are actually a lot similar– their attitudes, demeanors, and personalities.” Schettino said, of the half-sisters. “They don’t look alike, one is a chestnut, one is a dark bay, but through their personalities and demeanors, they are a lot alike.”

Schettino said it is rewarding to train this family, having also captured the 2017 Maid of the Mist with Berning Rose.

“I trained the mare. She won the Maid of the Mist. I trained all of the siblings. The first one was Berning Honor, she broke her maiden on the grass,” Schettino said. “Then these two sisters now, so all three babies. All three babies were winners.”

Schettino has tried Bernietakescharge on the grass twice, her best result a third on debut in August 2023 at Saratoga Race Course.

“She ran well. She ran third, but then I tried her on the dirt and she started running halfway decent in dirt races. Last year, after her stakes races, I actually tried her on the grass in open company, she didn’t run good, so I haven’t put her back on it,” Schettino said. “I’m not going to take her away from what she is doing now. I’m going to leave her where she is.”

Upcoming options at the Big A for Bernietakescharge include the one-mile state-bred $125,000 Biogio’s Rose on April 6 and the nine-furlong $150,000 Top Flight on April 12.