Aqueduct: Name Changer looks to forge long-distance identity in Queens County

By Brian Bohl —-

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Colts Neck Stables’ graded-stakes winner Name Changer will look to continue his run of recent success when he competes against a 10-horse field in Saturday’s 113th running of the $125,000 Queens County at 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo has finished on the board in all five of his previous starts in 2018, including a half-length win over Zanotti in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup at the Queens County distance on July 29 at Monmouth Park.

Name Changer overcame a bump at the start in that race, stalked the speed and finished strong to earn a personal-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure. The Alan Goldberg trainee followed with a third-place effort last out in the Pa Derby Champion on September 22 at 1 1/16 miles at Parx.

After initially being considered for the Grade 1 Cigar Mile earlier this month at Aqueduct, Goldberg said the Kentucky homebred should be fresh for his second appearance at the Big A and first since running third in a six-furlong optional claimer in April 2016.

“He’s doing OK, we’ve been doing the best we can. We’ve had a few days where the weather and the track have been a little rough down here in Colts Neck [New Jersey, his training base],” Goldberg said. “But other than that, he’s doing great. He’s been breezing good.”

Name Changer started his year off a nearly 11-month layoff when he posted back-to-back wins in allowance optional claimers, with a victory on May 13 at Parx and June 2 at Delaware Park. He returned to stakes company on July 14, running third in the Carl Hanford Memorial before notching his only graded stakes win next out. Each of the last three starts have been longer than a mile.

“I think a mile and an eighth where he’s fourth and fifth and can relax is a good trip for him,” Goldberg said. “He used to be a bad-breaking horse. Now, he’s been breaking well and sitting a little closer.”

Jockey Jose Lezcano will pick up the mount from post 1.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will send out a pair of stakes winners in Red Oak Stable’s Bal Harbour and Three Diamond Farm’s Bonus Points.

Bal Harbour enters off consecutive wins, edging Title Ready by a nose in an optional claimer on October 21 at Keeneland before stepping up in class to win the off-the-turf Gio Ponti at one mile November 23 at Aqueduct. The 3-year-old First Samurai gelding has five wins in 11 career starts, including stakes wins as a juvenile in the 2017 Sapling at Monmouth and the Smooth Air at Gulfstream Park.

Junior Alvarado will ride from post 4.

Bal Harbour’s stablemate, Bonus Points, is 2-2-1 in his last five starts and will be making his first stakes appearance since a third-place effort in the Grade 3 Discovery in November 2017 which capped his sophomore year.

As a 4-year-old, Bonus Points has finished in the money in races ranging from one mile to 1 1/8 miles, all on fast tracks. Manny Franco, who entered Friday with a 28-win edge for NYRA’s year-end leading rider crown, will break from post 3.

Monongahela will make his first appearance at the Big A and his eighth consecutive stakes start overall for trainer Kelly Rubley. The 4-year-old K One King colt earned a personal-best 92 Beyer for his runner-up effort by three-quarters of a length in the Swatara on November 21 at Penn National.
With jockey Jevian Toledo, the Pennsylvania bred will depart from post 9.

Exulting is coming off two races moved off the turf, setting the pace before tiring late to finish fourth in the Red Smith at the Queens County distance on November 17 at Aqueduct. That effort came just seven days after the 5-year-old Tapit gelding won the Artie Schiller on November 10 at one mile on the same main track, labeled good that afternoon. Rajiv Maragh will be in the irons for the Kiaran McLaughlin trainee from the outside post.

Rounding out the field is Holiday Bonus, who won his first start off the claim for trainer David Cannizzo on November 17, from post 6; Backsideofthemoon, second last out for trainer Leo O’Brien in the Artie Schiller, out of post 5; Adulator, making his first stakes appearance since a fourth-place finish in the 2016 Grade 3 Discovery, will break from post 2 for trainer Robertino Diodoro; Small Bear, a 4-year-old Macho Uno gelding trained by Gary Sciacca, from post 8; and Degrom, trained by John Servis, making his inaugural stakes appearance from post 7.