AQUEDUCT SATURDAY STAKES PREVIEWS

By Brian Bohl —-

Market Alert looks for stakes breakthrough in NYSSS Times Square

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Two-times stakes-placed Market Alert capitalize on class relief in his last outing and will look to parlay that confidence into his first stakes score when he competes as part of a seven-horse field in Saturday’s $200,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Times Square for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct Racetrack.

WellSpring Stables’ Market Alert capped his juvenile campaign with back-to-back third place finishes in stakes company at the Big A, earning blacktype in the Notebook going six furlongs on a track labeled good in November before running 1 1/4-lengths back to winner Hold the Salsa in the NYSSS Great White Way at seven furlongs on a fast track in December.

Trainer James Ryerson dropped the gelded son of D’Funnybone down in class for his sophomore debut on February 21 going six furlongs at Aqueduct, and he responded with a half-length win that netted him a personal-best 73 Beyer Speed Figure. Market Alert will now look to stretch back out to 6 1/2 furlongs for the 28th running of the Times Square.

“He’s a nice horse and I think he has some limitations distance-wise, but 6 ½ should be good for him,” Ryerson said. “He breezed Saturday and has been training well and looks good. The distance and the fact that it’s a stallion race, it made it hard to pass on, so hopefully everything goes well.”

Jose Ortiz will have the call from post 5, with Ryerson saying he’s hoping the New York homebred sustains his recent propensity to put himself in a forward position.

“He has tactical speed to be able to put himself in the race, and he’s done that in his last two [starts],” Ryerson said. “I think that’s been the biggest difference in him from 2-to-3-years old. He breaks better and puts himself in races. That’s what we are hoping for on Saturday.”

Eddie F’s Racing Lobsta, bred by Fedwell Farm, will make his second stakes appearance overall and first since running second to Nicky the Best in the Gander on February 21 going a one-turn mile at the Big A. The Gary Sciacca trainee made his debut on New Year’s Eve at Aqueduct, running fifth, before starting 2021 with a 5 3/4-length maiden breaking win just 17 days later.

After the Gander runner-up, Lobsta bested Schokolade by a neck over a sloppy tack at one mile on March 28 at Aqueduct. Eric Cancel, aboard for all of the Emcee colt’s previous four starts, will have the return assignment, drawing the outermost post 7.

“It’s a cutback, so we’ll see [how he does,” said owner Ed Fazzone. “I know Lobsta loves the one-turn mile at Aqueduct. His first time out was going six furlongs and he broke bad and it was a sloppy track. He’s matured pretty good since and that race did a lot for him.”

“Eric says he’s very professional and so far has done everything right,” Fazzone added. “We ran into a nice horse in the Gander in Nicky the Vest. When we turned for home there and Nicky the Vest took off, it was pretty amazing just how game Lobsta was to keep fighting on for second that day.”

Mr. Amore Stable’s It’s Gravy has finished in the money in each of his three previous stakes appearances and will look to break through after running third in the seven-furlong Damon Runyon last out on March 14.

The homebred Freud gelding is 1-2-3 in six starts for trainer Kelly Breen, entering with a field-best $133,344 in earnings, and has an even 1-1-1 ledger in three career Aqueduct appearances. Junior Alvarado will be in the irons from post 3.

Rounding out the field is four entries making their respective stakes debuts, including Devious Mo, who broke his maiden in his seventh start last out for trainer Rudy Rodriguez [post 1, Manny Franco]; Papa Smooth, fourth in his debut for trainer Mike Maker last month [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche]; Sinful Dancer, who ran second in his first start on March 7 at Aqueduct for conditioner George Weaver [post 4, Hall of Famer Javier Castellano]; and Writer’s Regret [post 2, Trevor McCarthy] for conditioner James Ferraro.

The Times Square is slated as Race 7 on the nine-race program, with the slate’s other stakes being the $100,000 Woodhaven for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the turf in Race 8. First post of 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

Hard Love chases after first stakes score in $100K Woodhaven

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Robert V. LaPenta and Augustin Stable’s Hard Love came close to breaking through in his stakes debut last out and will look to break through in his third career start overall in Saturday’s sixth running of the $100,000 Woodhaven for 3-year-old colts at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 1 1/16-mile test on the inner turf course is one of two stakes on the nine-race program, which also includes the $200,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Times Square for sophomores going 6 1/2 furlongs over the main track.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Hard Love ran second in the Central Park on November 28 at Aqueduct, where he displayed stalking tactics behind a leisurely pace and maintained second position throughout to finish 1 3/4 lengths back to Never Surprised at the Woodhaven distance.

The son of Kitten’s Joy displayed a similar running style when victorious on debut at 11-1 odds at Belmont Park on October 10. He stalked a moderate pace, established command in the upper stretch and battled with runner-up Big Everest to a two-length win.

Thomas said Hard Love could continue to see prosperity as he stretches out.

“We had been scrambling a little bit for works, but I think we have enough foundation where we can get him started in the Woodhaven,” Thomas said. “Hopefully, as the distances get drawn out over the summer, he’s going to be adept at that.”

Thomas selected Hard Love as a 2-year-old from Eddie Woods’ consignment barn at last year’s OBS April Sale, where he was purchased for $200,000.

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano will pilot Hard Love from the inside post.
Trainer Jorge Abreu will send out Lawrence and Jennifer Goichman’s Shawdyshawdyshawdy, who looks to get back on track after finishing second in his seasonal bow in a Tampa Bay Downs allowance event. The son of third crop sire Summer Front broke from the rail and was nine lengths off a slow pace before making up enough ground to finish a respectable second to filly Queen of the Green on February 10.

A dazzling debut victory going 1 1/16 miles on August 1 at Saratoga prompted his connections to try stakes company with the bay colt, where he finished fourth beaten one length in the More Than Ready Juvenile on September 7 at Kentucky Downs. He again ran fourth – 4 ¼ lengths behind eventual Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Fire At Will – in the Grade 3 Pilgrim on October 3 at Belmont Park.

“He’s doing great,” Abreu said. “I gave him the allowance race because I wanted to get him back on track from the time off. He ran a good race and tried. He’s a horse that I think wants to go longer. He’s a big horse, he’s 17.1 [hands].”

Jockey Trevor McCarthy will be aboard from post 4.

Trainer Chad Brown will saddle Peter Brant’s Sifting Sands, who arrives fresh off a maiden victory at Tampa Bay Downs on March 13. The royally bred son of Dubawi saved ground throughout and rode the rail to a three-quarter length victory going one mile.

Bred in Great Britain by Newsells Park Stud, Sifting Sands is out of the Montjeu mare Yummy Mummy. He comes from the same family as 2009 Irish Derby-winner Fame and Glory.

Jockey Manny Franco will ride Sifting Sands for the first time from the outside post.

Eric Fein’s Original has not raced since acquiring graded stakes black type when third in the Grade 3 Kitten’s Joy on January 30 at Gulfstream Park. The John Terranova-trained son of Quality Road has displayed frontrunning tactics in both turf starts. After a lackluster career debut on the Belmont main track, a change in surface appeared to make all the difference for Original, who broke through with a two-length victory on November 14 over a yielding outer turf at Aqueduct, beating eventual-winners Aviano and Crew Dragon.

Original will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 5.

It’s a Gamble arrives as the most seasoned horse in the field with seven starts, and two victories, for trainer Kelly Breen. The Mr. Amore Stable-owned New York-bred son of English Channel defeated eventual stakes winner Thin White Duke on his August 13 career debut at Saratoga and found the winner’s circle once more going six furlongs on December 4 over a good outer turf at Aqueduct.

It’s a Gamble will break from post 2 under Junior Alvarado.

Completing the field are stakes-placed Extrasexybigdaddee [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer Michael Trombetta as well as Minuteman [post 6, Eric Cancel] – a two-time starting maiden for trainer Tom Albertrani.

The Woodhaven is slated as Race 8 on Aqueduct’s nine-race program. First post of 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.