Aqueduct: Makin My Move back to the main track for Sunday’s Key Cents

By Keith McCalmont —-

OZONE PARK, N.Y. — Chester and Mary Broman’s homebred Makin My Move returns to the main track for Sunday’s $100,000 Key Cents, a six-furlong sprint for New York-bred juvenile fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by John Kimmel, Makin My Move sprinted to a 12 1/2-length debut victory against fellow state-breds in August traveling six furlongs over a good main track at Saratoga Race Course.

The Carpe Diem bay is out of the multiple stakes winning More Than Ready mare Hard to Stay Notgo, who had a penchant for prominent dirt scores and whose first foal to race – Gotta Go Mo – has proven to be similarly swift in turf sprints for Kimmel.

Makin My Move followed up with a switch to turf for the six-furlong Grade 3 Matron on October 9 at Belmont Park, finishing a pace-pressing fourth when defeated 1 1/2-lengths by Bubble Rock.

Kimmel said he was hoping to parlay a win in the Matron to a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“I worked her a bunch of times on the grass because everything else in the family ran big on the grass. Mr. Broman wanted to see if we had a filly that was good enough to go to the Breeders’ Cup and I told him if she was, it would be sprinting on the grass,” Kimmel said. “She didn’t run bad in the stakes race but grass season is over now and she’s a New York-bred, so we’ll take this route.”

The versatile filly has breezed back twice out of the Matron, including a bullet half-mile in 47.60 seconds on November 4 over Big Sandy.

“That’s her. That whole family has got one speed – pedal to the metal. That mare was really tough,” Kimmel said.

Luis Saez will ride from post 7.

Robert and Lawana Low’s Classy Edition, by Classic Empire, is undefeated in two career starts, both against state-breds, for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

Classy Edition scored by 6 3/4-lengths sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs on debut in September over a good main track at the Spa. She followed with an eight-length romp in the seven-furlong Joseph A. Gimma over a muddy main track on September 24 at Belmont that garnered a field-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pletcher said he had hoped to bring Classy Edition back in the one-mile Maid of the Mist on Empire Showcase Day October 30 at Belmont, but had to alter plans. She breezed a half-mile in 48.96 Sunday over the Belmont dirt training track.

“She worked well on Sunday like she always does, she’s a nice little filly,” Pletcher said. “We were pointing for the Maid of the Mist but she got a little bit of a cough. I was hoping to continue stretching her out as I think ultimately she’ll be a two-turn filly. I haven’t decided what direction we’ll go with her after the race, whether we’ll take her down to Florida or keep her here. There’s a good series of races here also. We’ll see how it goes and take it from there.”

A $500,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, Classy Edition, bred by the Bromans, is out of the Bernardini mare Newbie, who also produced multiple stakes winner Newly Minted.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will have the call from post 6.

Flying P Stable’s Cupid’s Heart, a grey daughter of Cupid bred by Sugar Maple Farm, registered a 71 Beyer in a visually-impressive debut by overcoming a troubled start before drawing off to a 4 1/4-length score in a six-furlong state-bred maiden sprint on October 23 at Belmont.

Trainer Bruce Levine said he is hoping for a better break this time with Cupid’s Heart, who posted a sharp half-mile breeze in 48.06 on November 6 over Big Sandy.

“We did some gate work with her so hopefully she’ll break a little better,” Levine said. “She was breaking good in the mornings, so I was a little surprised. I wouldn’t say the way she trained that she had a lot of speed. but she worked really well. She really ran well in her debut.”

A $50,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase, Cupid’s Heart will exit post 5 under returning Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

CJ Thoroughbreds’ Miss Alacrity, by Munnings, has posted three career starts – all at five furlongs – for trainer Wesley Ward.

The chestnut sprinted to a 10-length debut victory over Big Sandy in May and followed with a 2 3/4-length sore in the Colleen in August over firm turf at Monmouth Park.

Last out, over firm going on October 1 at Santa Anita Park, Miss Alacrity stumbled at the start of the Speakeasy, settling for fourth.

Out of the multiple graded-stakes winning Menifee mare Just Jenda, Miss Alacrity was purchased as a weanling for $150,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Miss Alacrity, who will race with blinkers off, will be piloted by Hall of Famer John Velazquez from the inside post.

Shesawildjoker, trained by David Donk for owner Joseph Bucci, graduated at first asking by a neck over eventual stakes winner November Rein in a 5 1/2-furlong state-bred maiden sprint in June at Belmont.

The Practical Joke bay, an $80,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, followed with an off-the-board effort in the Grade 2 Adirondack in August at Saratoga ahead of distant third in the seven-furlong Joseph A. Gimma with Velazquez up.

“She’s doing well. She had a nice race last time at Finger Lakes and more importantly she rated a bit,” Donk said. “She tried to run off the time before with Johnny going seven-eighths. I think we have her relaxed a little bit.”

Shesawildjoker enters from a driving 2 1/4-length score in the six-furlong Shesastonecoldfox, contested over a sloppy Finger Lakes surface on October 25.

Manny Franco will have the call from post 8.

Rounding out the field are Silver Fist [post 2, Jose Ortiz], Captainsdaughter [post 3, Trevor McCarthy], and Tosconova Beauty [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche].

The Key Cents is slated as Race 9 on Sunday’s 10-race card, while the co-featured $100,000 Notebook, a six-furlong sprint for state-bred juveniles will go as Race 3. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

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