Aqueduct: Saturday Stakes Previews

Posted On 14 Dec 2022

By Ryan Martin/ Keith McCalmont —-

Dr. Blute seeks to continue upward trajectory against deep field in $100K Alex M. Robb

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Flanagan Racing’s Dr. Blute will try to wrap up the year by doubling up on stakes scores in Saturday’s $100,000 Alex M. Robb for New York-breds 3-year-old and upward going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Dr. Blute, a 4-year-old chestnut gelding by leading third-crop sire Not This Time, arrives off a sharp winning effort against fellow state-breds in the nine-furlong Empire Classic on October 30 at Belmont at the Big A for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. Despite being fractious in the gate, Dr. Blute broke on top and led throughout, holding his advantage to a three-quarter length victory over late-closing Curlin’s Wisdom. The triumph came following a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure going the Alex M. Robb distance at allowance optional claiming level on September 18 at Belmont at the Big A which he won by 6 3/4 lengths.

Dr. Blute began his career with trainer John Kimmel, graduating by 5 3/4 lengths on debut in February 2021 in a local six-furlong maiden special weight. He had never gone past seven furlongs until joining Joseph, Jr.’s stable over the summer and stretched out to one mile out of the Spa’s Wilson Chute, finishing a narrow second to dual stakes-placed Best Idea.

“He always had speed. I think the extended distance and stretching him out helped him use his speed in a better manner,” Joseph, Jr. said. “Instead of going 22 [seconds] and 45, he’s able to go 23 and 47. He’s able to save a little more so the distance is definitely key to helping him improve.”

Bred in the Empire State by Hidden Lake Farm and Axle Ahlschwede, Dr. Blute is out of the Friends Lake mare Truss, who is a half-sister to graded stakes winner Khancord Kid – the dam of 2017 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold.

Edgard Zayas will pilot Dr. Blute from post 8.

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez will saddle The Elkstone Group’s horse-for-course Wudda U Think Now, who brags a 9-5-2-0 record at the Big A, led by a pair of six-furlong scores that garnered 104 Beyer Speed Figures, including a 10 1/2-length victory in an allowance optional claimer in January which came on the heels of a victory in the Hollie Hughes.

Sidelined following the Hollie Hughes, the 5-year-old Fast Anna gelding made his second start off the layoff a winning one when capturing the John Morrissey in August at Saratoga Race Course.

The Alex M. Robb will be Wudda U Think Now’s first start going one mile since March 2021, when capturing a local allowance optional claimer by 1 1/4 lengths.

“I think he can handle the mile. It’ll be a little challenging because there are some nice horses going in there. He for sure loves Aqueduct and I think he enjoys the winter, he really gets himself together this time of year,” Rodriguez said.

Wudda U Think Now was bred by Mina Equivest and is out of the Unbridled Jet mare Unbridled Grace, who has produced four other six-figure earners.

Dylan Davis will ride Wudda U Think Now from post 7.

Trainer Mike Maker holds a strong hand in the form of multiple stakes-winning sophomore Barese [post 5, Manny Franco] and multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Somelikeithotbrown [post 4, Jose Lezcano].

Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher’s Barese has enjoyed a productive sophomore season which includes three stakes victories. The son of Laoban captured the Rego Park on January 9 going 6 1/2 furlongs on the heels of a successful stretch-out to a one-turn mile in the Gander on February 12. Three starts following a fifth-place finish behind subsequent American classic winners Mo Donegal and Early Voting in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 9 at the Big A, he captured the New York Derby on July 18 at Finger Lakes by four lengths before finishing second in the Albany on August 26 at Saratoga.

He finished third in the Empire Classic, finishing one length behind Dr. Blute, and enters off a close second in the open-company Discovery on November 27 at the Big A.

Barese, bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Lakland Farm, is out of the Successful Appeal mare Right Prevails – a full-sister to 2005 Kentucky Derby runner-up Closing Argument.

Skychai Racing and David Koenig’s Somelikeithotbrown is the only horse in the field to boast millionaire status, having banked $1,684,518 through a record of 30-10-7-4. The Big Brown 6-year-old, bred by Hot Pink Stables and Sand Dollar Stables, has won a graded event every year since 2019, most recently capturing Kentucky Downs’ Grade 3 Mint Million in September, which followed a six-length coup in an off-the-turf edition of the West Point presented by Trustco Bank at Saratoga. Somelikeithotbrown enters the Alex M. Robb off 13 days’ rest after finishing second to follow New York-bred millionaire Bankit in the NYSSS Thunder Rumble.

Ten Strike Racing and Four Corners Racing’s Sea Foam strives to protect his title in the Alex M. Robb for trainer Michelle Giangiulio. The 7-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro, bred by Waterville Lake Stables, made his seasonal debut in August at the Spa with a nose loss to Bankit in his title defense of the state-bred Evan Shipman.

Sea Foam, who adds blinkers, enters off a fourth in the Empire Classic, where he was beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

Carmouche retains the mount from post 6.

Rounding out the field are Market Alert [post 1, Jorge Vargas, Jr.], Three Jokers [post 2, Jose Gomez], and Perfect Munnings [post 3, Javier Castellano].

The Alex M. Robb is carded as Race 8 on Saturday’s 10-race card, which features three other stakes events, including the $100,000 Bay Ridge, the $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue and the $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

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

NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

Venti Valentine looks to get back on track in Bay Ridge

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ multiple graded-stakes placed Venti Valentine will seek her third career stakes score in Saturday’s $100,000 Bay Ridge, a one-turn mile for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Bay Ridge is slated as Race 3 on Saturday’s lucrative 10-race card which is co-headlined by a pair of $500,000 New York Stallion Series Stakes in the Fifth Avenue for eligible state-sired juvenile fillies in Race 7 and the Great White Way for eligible state-sired juveniles in Race 9. Also featured Saturday is the $100,000 Alex M. Robb at one-mile for New York-breds 3-years-old and up in Race 8. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

Trained by Jorge Abreu, Venti Valentine was last seen finishing sixth against older state-bred fillies and mares in the 6 1/2-furlong Iroquois on October 30 at Belmont at the Big A. With Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, the 3-year-old Firing Line chestnut saved ground in last-of-8 but failed to fire her best shot when 4 3/4-lengths back of the victorious November Rein.

“We backed her up to 6 1/2 [furlongs] in the Iroquois and the race really didn’t set up for her that day,” said Dan Zanatta, co-managing partner of NY Final Furlong Racing Stable. “Irad came back and said he never really had any running room for her, but she did gallop out well which is more than we could say for her previous races.”

Venti Valentine will look to regain the successful form that saw her win three of her first five career starts, including a second-out score in October 2021 in the Maid of the Mist against fellow state-breds at Belmont Park and a seven-length romp in the Busher Invitational against open company in March at the Big A.

Venti Valentine’s Busher score is surrounded by runner-up efforts traveling nine furlongs at Aqueduct in the Grade 2 Demoiselle last December when bested a neck by eventual multiple Grade 1-winner Nest; and in April when a pacesetting second to Nostalgic in the

Grade 3 Gazelle.

Zanatta said the team had considered entering Venti Valentine in the one-mile Grade 3 Go for Wand on December 3 here, but decided a stretch out in distance against fellow state-breds was preferable.

“I think the one-mile configuration at Aqueduct will hit her square in the eyes. That’s what she really wants to do,” Zanatta said. “We nominated her to the Go for Wand, but I didn’t want to run her in that steep of company again. Keeping her against New York-breds and going a mile is going to be a good spot for her. We’ll see what she gives us.”

Venti Valentine has trained extensively over the Belmont dirt training track for her return, including a half-mile breeze in 48.65 Saturday.

Bred in the Empire State by Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stable, Venti Valentine, out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Glory Gold, is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Espresso Shot, who banked $516,625 in 24 starts for NY Final Furlong Racing Stable, Maspeth Stables and Parkland Thoroughbreds.

Dylan Davis will pilot Venti Valentine from post 5.

CHC Inc.’s Let Her Inspire U [post 6, Jose Lezcano] enters from a prominent score over older state-bred fillies and mares in the nine-furlong Empire Distaff on October 30 at Belmont at the Big A for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The Practical Joke sophomore attended a moderate pace of 25.12 and 49.93 set by Brattle House in the Empire Distaff, taking command three-eighths from home and drawing clear to a 2 1/4-length score over graded-stakes winner Sharp Starr.

The dark bay, who boasts a record of 8-4-2-1 for purse earnings of $350,800, was a game second in her previous stakes outing to Fingal’s Cave in the nine-furlong Fleet Indian for state-breds in August at Saratoga.

Bred by Pine Ridge Stables, the $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase is out of the Speightstown mare Caribbean Lady, who is a half-sister to multiple graded-stakes winner Halory Leigh.

Know It All Audrey, trained and co-owned by Oscar Barrera, III, with Three Player’s Stable, was claimed for $16,000 out of a winning effort in September at Belmont at the Big A.

The 3-year-old Shackleford bay, bred by Geraldine Mazza, has won 2-of-3 starts since at the Big A, including an open allowance score in October and a frontrunning one-mile effort against older state-breds last out on November 4.

Out of the stakes-placed Midnight Lute mare Know It All Anna, Know It All Audrey will make her stakes debut from post 3 under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

Rounding out a contentious field are the stakes-placed Mashnee Girl [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche] and Spungie [post 1, Manny Franco] along with three-time winner Fight On Lucy [post 2, Luis Rodriguez Castro].