Aqueduct Saturday Stakes Advances: Remsen, Demoiselle, Go for Wand

Posted On 01 Dec 2023

Dornoch takes on G2 Remsen off impressive maiden win

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – West Paces Racing, R.A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eight Racing and Pine Racing Stables’ Dornoch will attempt to give trainer Danny Gargan a repeat victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen, a nine-furlong route for juveniles, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Remsen, carded as Race 9, awards the top-five finishers with 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points, respectively, towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs, and is one of four graded stakes slated for Saturday’s stacked Cigar Mile Day card. The 10-race program also features the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets in Race 10, the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle, a 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifier, in Race 7 and the Grade 3, $200,000 Go for Wand in Race 8. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

Dornoch arrives from a dominant 6 1/2-length victory at third asking with a gate-to-wire performance on October 14 at Keeneland, garnering an 87 Beyer Speed Figure. His graduation came on the heels of a close runner-up effort to Noted in the one-mile Sapling in August at Monmouth Park where he raced wide and was jostled near the seven-eighths mark.

“Last time, he broke good and was up there,” said Gargan, who saddled last year’s winner Dubyuhnell. “He still goofed off at the end of the race. When he gets by himself, he plays around. He’s real professional when he’s with other horses. He looked around a little bit and didn’t switch [leads] as fast because he’s playing around. But it was a big performance and he ran fast.”

Gargan spoke volumes of Dornoch’s Sapling effort, where he endured a troubled, wide trip under Kendrick Carmouche.

“I thought his second race was a crazy, big performance. He broke poorly and the horse inside him bolted and the next thing you know, he’s wide in the first turn,” said Gargan. “Then he goes from [far back] down the backside, and in the turn for home, he had the lead. He moved way too soon. Kendrick said he had a ton of horse and if he had another sixteenth of a mile he’d have come back and beat the other horse. He just got green and was playing around.”

Since his maiden score, Dornoch has worked four times over the Belmont Park main track, including half-mile effort Saturday in 49.43 seconds.

Gargan added he expects Dornoch to relish a stretch-out after his strong showing at Keeneland.

“It’s a short wire there at a mile and sixteenth and he galloped out all the way back around. He galloped way out that day,” Gargan said. “I don’t think it [the distance] will be any problem at all. He’s a big horse.

Dornoch, a son of Good Magic, is a full-brother to this year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-winner Mage and is out of the graded stakes-placed Big Brown mare Puca, who recently sold at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $2.9 million while carrying another full-sibling to Mage and Dornoch.

Luis Saez has the call from post 3.

Rose Petal Stables’ Copper Tax [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche] streaks in off five consecutive victories for conditioner Gary Capuano, most recently shipping out of Delaware Park for the first time to capture the six-furlong James F. Lewis, III on November 11 at Laurel Park. The son of Copper Bullet was bumped at the start and trailed farther off the pace than he had ever been in his six lifetime outings, but overcame the challenge to rally late and notch the neck score over Inveigled.

The James F. Lewis was the second stakes conquest for Copper Tax, who also won the one-mile Rocky Run in dominant wire-to-wire fashion two starts back, crossing the wire 6 3/4 lengths in front over the muddy and sealed going. Both his stakes victories garnered career-best 81 Beyers, and followed a pair of open-lengths restricted allowance romps at the at the Wilmington oval.

A $45,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, Copper Tax is out of the stakes-placed Majestic Warrior mare Wilhelmina, a half-sister to multiple Venezuelan Group 1-winner Strength Mask.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will send out two contenders in the regally-bred debut winner Sierra Leone [post 7, Jose Ortiz] and second-out maiden-winner Domestic Product [post 2, Manny Franco].

Sierra Leone, owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing and Peter Brant, made his highly anticipated debut on November 4 with a rallying 1 1/4-length score after bobbling at the start and racing five-wide in the stretch to sweep past Change of Command and complete the mile in 1:36.94.

The son of Gun Runner was a $2.3 million purchase at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and is out of the Grade 1-winning Malibu Moon mare Heavenly Love. This third dam, the multiple graded stakes-winner Roamin Rachel, also produced 2004 Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy.

Brown said Sierra Leone trained well into his debut.

“Obviously, he’s a highly-regarded horse because of his wonderful pedigree and his purchase price,” said Brown. “It’s nice that he got his career started with a win right off the bat. He’s a very promising horse and hopefully he takes to the two turns which he should.”

Klaravich Stables’ Kentucky homebred Domestic Product was a winner at second asking on October 27 at Belmont at the Big A, taking a nine-furlong maiden tilt by 4 1/2 lengths with a prominent trip under Manny Franco. The son of Practical Joke improved greatly with a stretch-out after finishing fifth in a six-furlong sprint on debut in August at Saratoga.

“He stretched quite far out from his debut, so it wasn’t ideal, but that was the race that was there and we went for it,” said Brown. “He came through, so I was quite impressed with him. He’s stepping up, so it will be a good test for him.”

Sierra Leone and Domestic Product worked in company over the Belmont Park training track on Saturday, covering a half-mile in 48.40 seconds.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will also be represented by a pair of contenders as Moonlight [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Private Desire [post 10, Jose Lezcano] each vie for their first stakes victory.

Town and Country Racing and Madaket Stables’ Moonlight enters from a closing runner-up effort over sloppy and sealed going in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Street Sense on October 29 at Churchill Downs where he made a bid from fourth down the stretch and came up 2 3/4 lengths shy of Liberal Arts. The son of Audible was making his stakes debut off a dominant second-out maiden conquest on September 28 at Belmont at the Big A when annexing a one-mile off-the-turf maiden by eight lengths and garnering a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

Stephen P. Brunetti, Jr.’s Private Desire looks to rebound from an even fourth-place effort last out in the one-mile Nashua on November 5 where he raced greenly at the seven-eighths and was wide into the stretch. The son of Constitution boasts a field-best 94 Beyer for a second-out graduation sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on September 16 over the Big A main track. He finished fourth in a July 29 maiden at Saratoga where Dornoch also debuted and finished second.

Nice Guys Stables’ Where’s Chris [post 8, Isaac Castillo] will look to double up on stakes scores for trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. after winning the one-mile Nashua by three-quarter lengths on November 5 here. The son of Twirling Candy stalked a half-length off pacesetting post-time favorite Book’em Danno in second before coming to even terms with his foe at the top of the lane. The pair drew off and dueled strongly down the stretch with Where’s Chris coming out on top in a final time of 1:36.75.

A $20,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, Where’s Chris is out of the multiple graded-stakes winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Sea Queen, who finished second in the 2014 Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational on turf.

Completing the field are Nashua third-place finisher Billal [post 6, Junior Alvarado], who races with blinkers off for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; and maiden winners Drum Roll Please [post 5, Javier Castellano] for trainer Brad Cox and Le Dom Bro [post 1, Jose Gomez] for conditioner Eniel Cordero.

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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By Mary Eddy

Shimmering Allure looks to double up on stakes scores in G2 Demoiselle

By Keith McCalmont

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Walking L Thoroughbreds’ Shimmering Allure will try to make the grade in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle, a nine-furlong route for juvenile fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Demoiselle, slated as Race 7, offers 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers and is part of a stacked card headlined by the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap in Race 10. Saturday’s 10-race program also features the Grade 3, $200,000 Go for Wand in Race 8 and the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen in Race 9, offering 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

Shimmering Allure sports a consistent record of 6-2-2-0 and purse earnings of $189,095 for trainer Kenny McPeek. The Enticed dark bay, a $40,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase, made her first three starts in maiden sprints restricted to horses who sold or RNA’d for less than $50,000 before stretching out to one-mile in September at Churchill Downs and driving clear to a 2 1/4-length score in similar restricted company.

She dove into deeper waters next out in the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades in October at Keeneland, overcoming a slow start to finish fourth when 6 3/4-lengths back of the victorious Candied, who was subsequently third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at Santa Anita Park.

Out of the stakes-placed Wild Again mare Shimmering Tale, Shimmering Allure followed by shipping to the Big A for the one-turn mile Tempted on November 5 and rallied stoutly down the lane to score by three lengths over returning rival Vino Rouge. The impressive effort on the cut back to one-turn garnered a career-best 77 Beyer Speed Figure.

Shimmering Allure has remained in New York with McPeek’s Belmont Park division, posting a half-mile breeze Sunday in 49.50 seconds over the dirt training track.

“She has been breezing at Belmont, and she’s in a nice routine,” McPeek said. “I like the way her last one set up. She’s been pretty versatile at this point. She’s run shorter, longer and handled two turns. She’s handled just about everything we’ve thrown at her. The Demoiselle, at a mile and an eighth, the pace of the race will be interesting, but she’s clicking away and doing well.”

Junior Alvarado has the call from post 7.

Repole Stable’s Life Talk [post 3, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] garnered a 74 Beyer for her second-out graduation in August traveling one-mile out of the Wilson Chute at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the Gun Runner bay followed in October with a third-place effort in the Grade 1 Frizette contested over a sloppy and sealed Big A main track. Last out, the $335,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase was an even fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on November 3 at Santa Anita Park.

Life Talk is out of the Bernardini mare Touchy Feely, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Indian Firewater.

Peter Callahan and James Reiley McDonald’s Ringy Dingy [post 8, Katie Davis] arrives from a 6 1/4-length score on October 13 in the one-mile White Clay Creek traveling two turns at Delaware Park.

Trained by Danny Gargan, the Dialed In chestnut was away slowly but advanced along the rail from last-of-6 down the backstretch under Katie Davis. Ringy Dingy continued to save ground through the final turn while waiting for racing room and surged to the lead once straightened away to notch a commanding win.

“Going down the backside she was really last and I thought this was not going to end well,” Gargan said. “But she kicked it in and came home really nicely. I don’t know how much she beat that day, but she looked like she’d run all day.”

The $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase was a distant fifth in her July debut at the Spa after breaking poorly and rushing into contention. She graduated at second asking in September traveling 6 1/2-furlongs at Belmont at the Big A with Davis aboard for the first time.

Gargan credited Davis with metering out Ringy Dingy’s strong burst of energy by utilizing a stalking trip in her maiden score.

“She has a turn of foot when you ask her. She’ll accelerate fast. The key is not using it early,” Gargan said. “She’s really bred to stretch and you have to sit and wait on that. If you ask her early, she’ll go but she won’t finish. We’re hoping she’ll break well and get a decent trip.”

Out of the multiple stakes-placed Touch Gold mare Wind Caper, Ringy Dingy is a full-sister to dual Grade 1-winner Defunded.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle Alpha Delta Stables’ New York-homebred Dolomite [post 2, Manny Franco].

Dolomite has made both of her starts sprinting against fellow state-breds, closing to finish second after a troubled trip in her September debut traveling six furlongs at the Spa. The Unified bay returned with an impressive score going seven furlongs in October here, drawing clear by 6 1/4-lengths over next-out winner Munny Grab.

“She’s doing fine. I think two turns is really going to suit that horse,” Brown said.

Dolomite is out of the New York-bred Algorithms mare Sunset Ridge, who won the 2017 Fleet Indian for Brown.

Godolphin’s regally-bred Most of All [post 4, Jose Ortiz] steps into stakes company for the first time after a 10 1/4-length graduation at third asking here for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The Quality Road bay is out of the graded stakes-winning Bernardini mare Indulgent, who is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning multimillionaire Frosted. Most of All was far back in her first two outings at Saratoga, finishing ninth in a main-track sprint and 10th in a turf route before running away from a compact field in an off-the-turf one-turn mile on October 20 here over sloppy and sealed going.

Rounding out a talented field are New York-bred stakes winner Caldwell Luvs Gold [post 9, Luis Saez] for trainer Brad Cox; the stakes-placed Vino Rouge [post 5, Dylan Davis], who add blinkers for conditioner Tony Dutrow; along with maiden winners Cozee Rags [post 1, Jose Gomez] for trainer Brian Michael, and the George Weaver-trained Caress [post 6, Javier Castellano].

Dr B goes for back-to-back wins in G3 Go for Wand

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Cash is King and LC Racing’s Dr B will vie to successfully defend her title in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Go for Wand, a one-mile main track test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Go for Wand, carded as Race 8, is one of four graded stakes slated for Saturday’s stacked Cigar Mile Day card, which features the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets in Race 10, and a pair of nine-furlong Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks qualifiers for juveniles that award 10-5-3-2-1 points to the top-five finishers in the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen in Race 9 and the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle for fillies in Race 7. First post for the 10-race card is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

Trained by Butch Reid, Jr., Dr B scored her first graded victory in last year’s Go for Wand in wire-to-wire fashion, drawing off strongly down the stretch to cross the finish line 4 1/4 lengths ahead of post-time favorite Bank Sting in a final time of 1:35.18. The win, which garnered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure, followed a pair of runner-up efforts in Parx Racing’s Roamin Rachel and the Pumpkin Pie at Belmont at the Big A, the latter of which she lost by just three-quarter lengths in her first start over the Aqueduct main track.

This year, the 5-year-old daughter of Liam’s Map enters from a fourth in the Parx Dirt Mile when taking on males over sloppy and sealed going on September 23 at Parx. That effort came after making four starts at the graded level this year, including a good runner-up effort to Caramel Swirl in the Grade 3 Vagrancy when making her seasonal debut in May at Belmont Park, and a second-place finish behind 2021 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Echo Zulu in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap in July at Saratoga Race Course. She boasts a lifetime record of 21-5-7-2 with total purse earnings of $473,240.

Reid, Jr. said he looks forward to Dr B returning to the Big A.

“It’s a funny course and she seems to enjoy it,” said Reid, Jr. “We’re going to give her the opportunity. We expect her to show good speed in there and she should be nice and fresh.”

Jose Lezcano has the call from post 2.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will send out Klaravich Stables’ Grade 2-winner Gerrymander [post 6, Jose Ortiz] as she rounds back into form off a facile score in an off-the-turf running of the Noble Damsel on October 8 when facing a match race against Sunset Louise. The daughter of Into Mischief made easy work of her lone foe and drew clear in the stretch to win by 25 lengths.

The consistent bay was Grade 1-placed as a juvenile when second in the Frizette at Belmont, and went on the win the Grade 2 Mother Goose last year with a three-length score over Big Sandy that garnered a career-best 98 Beyer. This year, she finished a pacesetting third in the Grade 2 Ruffian in May at Belmont ahead of three close on-the-board finishes in optional claiming company.

Gerrymander, a $375,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, breezed a half-mile in 49.77 seconds on Sunday over the Belmont Park training track.

“She breezed quite well, and I think this will be the right distance for her,” said Brown. “The one-turn mile suits her. She’s coming back into form, so she looks good.”

Brown will also saddle Peter Brant’s Good Sam [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], who has made three starts this year after a seven-month layoff that followed a successful stakes debut in last year’s one-mile Tempted here.

The daughter of Good Samaritan finished second against elders in second-level optional claiming company in her first two starts of her sophomore campaign, bested in June at Belmont by graded stakes-winner Midnight Stroll and in July at Saratoga by multiple graded stakes-placed Sterling Silver. She broke through at the same level last out on October 4 when pouncing from off the pace to win by 3 1/2 lengths sprinting seven furlongs.

“It was very important for her to win last out and I was quite pleased with her race,” said Brown. “She took a little while to come around this year, but she’s in good form now.”

KimDon Racing’s Tizzy in the Sky [post 5, Luis Saez] came up a neck shy of her first stakes win last out when finishing second to Interstatedaydream in the nine-furlong Turnback the Alarm on November 3 here. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old daughter of Sky Kingdom led through each point of call under Kendrick Carmouche and raced bravely down the lane, but could not stave off the determined Interstatedaydream, who completed the course in 1:50.34.

A three-time winner from eight starts, Tizzy in the Sky was a dominant 9 3/4-length winner two starts back in a nine-furlong optional claiming contest on October 4 here. Both of her most recent efforts were awarded a career-best 91 Beyer.

Completing the field are the pair of New York-breds in multiple graded stakes-placed Venti Valentine [post 3, Manny Franco] for trainer Jorge Abreu, and Know It All Audrey [post 4, Javier Castellano], a last-out winner of the state-bred Empire Distaff, for conditioner Oscar Barrera, Jr.; along with the Brittany Russell-trained three-time winner Saddle Up Jessie [post 1, Dylan Davis].

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Contact: Mary Eddy