Aqueduct: Dream Bigger seeks second stakes victory in $100K Notebook

By Ryan Martin —-

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Repole Stables’ Dream Bigger will look to build on a last-out stakes victory as part of a seven-horse field of New York-bred juveniles in Sunday’s $100,000 Notebook at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The sixth running of the Notebook, contested at six furlongs, is carded as Race 9 on Sunday’s 10-race card with a post time of 3:50 p.m. Eastern. First post is noon.

Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, the gray or roan son of Mission Impazible broke his maiden at third asking against stakes company with a 10 ¾-length victory in the New York Breeders’ Futurity on September 30 at Finger Lakes. Prior to his stakes debut, Dream Bigger was runner-up to subsequent Grade 1 winner Tiz the Law at Saratoga in August before a close second to fellow Notebook aspirant Harris Bay.

Rodriguez said the year-end goal would be the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series on December 14 at the Big A.

“He’s training forwardly. He’s doing everything that we’ve asked of him and he’s been up against some nice solid horses,” Rodriguez said. “Hopefully he can run with them again and take it from there, but he’s coming to this race in very good shape. Right now, the main goal is to run him in the big race.”

Bred in the Empire State by Sequel New York, Twin Creeks Racing and Pamela Zielinski, Dream Bigger is out of the Sky Mesa broodmare Downtown Daria and was acquired for $205,000 Ocala Breeders Sales Company’s 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale in April.

Jockey Jose Ortiz will pilot Dream Bigger from the outside post.

Nedlaw Stable’s Harris Bay will seek another triumph against Dream Bigger when emerging from post 6.

The chestnut Carpe Diem colt, trained by John Kimmel, defeated Dream Bigger in his six-furlong career debut at Belmont Park on September 15 before stretching out to one mile to finish third in the Sleepy Hollow on New York Breeders’ Showcase Day, October 19.

Bred by WinStar Farm, Harris Bay is out of the Latent Heat broodmare Hot Spa and was bought for $170,000 from the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Harris Bay will be ridden by Dylan Davis.

Shipping to New York from Pennsylvania is Ny Traffic for owners John Fanelli and Leonard Liberto and trainer Harold Wyner.

After finishing third to subsequent graded stakes-winner Independence Hall, the gray or roan son of second crop stallion Cross Traffic broke his maiden at second asking over the Parx Racing main track and finished a distant fourth in the Parx Juvenile on November 5.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano will have the mount aboard Ny Traffic who breaks from the rail.

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart will saddle August Dawn Farm’s Moonachie, who will attempt to make amends after a fourth-place finish in the Bertram Bongard on September 20 at Belmont Park.

One of two sons of Central Banker entered in the field, the chestnut gelding was a 10-length winner first out in August at Saratoga.

Moonachie will be piloted by Manny Franco from post 4.

Rounding out the field are Scilly Cay [post 2, Jose Lezcano], Bank On Shea [post 3, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Mission Wrapitup [post 5, Joel Rosario].