Aqueduct Racetrack Notes 11/24

NYRA PRESS OFFICE —-

Aqueduct Racetrack Notes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Massimino Rapuano’s Cicciobello came from 11 lengths back in last-of-8 early to win Saturday’s $125,000 Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired horses 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Derek Ryan, the 5-year-old Bellamy Road gelding rebounded from a distant last-of-9 in the nine-furlong state-bred Empire Classic on October 27 here. This time, a pace duel between Antonio of Venice and Light Man set up for late runners, with Cicciobello surging on the outside under Jose Lezcano to edge General Banker at odds of 20-1. He was awarded a career-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He’s been training really good. He worked good with Lezcano about two weeks ago and it worked out perfectly. It was a speed duel up front,” Ryan said. “He’s a pretty easy horse to ride. You just have to leave him alone.”

Ryan said the race did set up for Cicciobello nicely, but he was still impressed by his late foot.

“It was a pretty solid run. Now that he’s getting a little older, maybe he wants to drop back,” Ryan said. “If you take ahold of him, he chokes up and that is what happened the time before. Whether on the lead or not, that is the way he is.”

Ryan said Cicciobello exited the race in good order and he plans to give him a winter break.

Atlantic Six Racing’s Book’em Danno is entered in Monday’s Steel Valley Sprint at Mahoning Valley Race Course, but Ryan said he will scratch in favor of the local Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by TwinSpires.com on December 7.

“This was always the plan, so then we will figure out what we’ll do for next year. Well basically, I’m trying to figure out what race he will run in Saudi Arabia and this will make the decision a lot easier,” said Ryan.

The sophomore Bucchero gelding is a Grade 1-winning sprinter, capturing the seven-furlong Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun on June 8 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course. Ryan wants to see if he is better suited for the Group 2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint or the nine-furlong Group 1 Saudi Cup in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.

Book’em Danno has made two efforts at one-mile, including a second in the Group 3 Saudi Derby when nailed late by Forever Young to lose by a head in February.

“I don’t think he should’ve gotten beat to tell you the truth. That horse was so far back. He [Book’em Danno] is getting a little older and starting to drop back himself. So I think his style is changing and most of mine usually come from off the pace anyways,” said Ryan. “The big one is $20 million [purse]. It is a lot of money and they pay all the way down to eighth a lot of money. You’ve got to be invited.

“He is invited for the sprint, but if he runs good in this one, they’ll invite him for the big one – it is basically an audition,” Ryan continued.

Ryan said he hopes he can carry Cicciobello’s momentum into Book’em Danno’s next start.

“Hopefully I can see him coming like yesterday,” Ryan said, with a laugh. “That’s where I want him to be: on the outside with clear sailing. He’s never been beat when he’s been coming on the outside.”

Book’em Danno was a neck second last out in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Perryville on October 19 at Keeneland. He boasts a lifetime record of 10-6-3-1 with $1,018,125 in earnings.

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Kantarmaci weighing options for NYSSS Staten Island-winner Golden Rocket

John Witte and Morris Kernan, Jr.’s Golden Rocket earned a 74 Beyer Speed Figure for her stalk-and-pounce score in Saturday’s $125,000 NYSSS Staten Island, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 5-year-old Alpha chestnut stalked the pace along the rail in third under Manny Franco and responded well into the stretch to preserve inside position and take over from pacesetter Sunday Girl, powering home a 3 1/2-length winner to notch her second career stakes victory. She adds to another Stallion Stakes Series win on turf in the 2022 Statue of Liberty division at Saratoga Race Course.

The talented mare provided the first American stakes victory for conditioner Ilkay Kantarmaci, who previously worked as an assistant to his brother Mertkan until he announced a hiatus from training in September. Ilkay took over his string of horses, and has won six races since.

“It feels good. We’ve won stakes, but under my brother,” Ilkay Kantarmaci said. “It’s my first stakes race under my name. It’s emotional and it’s special.”

The win also marked one of five on Saturday’s card for Franco, who was aboard Golden Rocket for the first time in the afternoon.

“Manny is the best. He won five yesterday, and I think one of his best rides was Golden Rocket. He did so good. I can’t be happier than this,” Kantarmaci said. “Manny is always riding well for me, and yesterday was perfect.”

Golden Rocket was claimed for $45,000 out of a neck win in a local state-bred optional claimer on October 10. She made her first start for Kantarmaci with a rallying fourth in the state-bred Iroquois on October 27 here, improving from last-of-7 after emerging from post 5 to come up 2 1/2 lengths shy.

Kantarmaci said a clean inside trip helped make the difference on Saturday.

“I think the rail helped her a lot. Last time, she was outside, but this time she kept inside and she was confident,” Kantarmaci said. “We got lucky the rail stayed opened, so she just took over.”

Kantarmaci added he is still considering a potential next start for Golden Rocket, which could possibly come in the one-mile state-bred $100,000 Bay Ridge on December 27 here.

“We’ll go from here and see how she comes out. I think she can do the mile, too. That’s why she’s the best – she can do anything,” Kantarmaci said. “The Bay Ridge is a possibility. We’ll nominate her and see how it looks.”

Bred in the Empire State by Ballybrit Stables, Golden Rocket is out of the winning Touch Gold mare Taty’s Gold. She has banked $413,262 in total purse earnings through a lifetime record of 27-6-5-5.

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Dean Delivers cuts back for Listed $150K Fall Highweight

Stonehedge’s Florida homebred Dean Delivers will cut back one furlong for Friday’s Listed $150,000 Fall Highweight, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Ned Allard, the 5-year-old son of Cajun Breeze was last seen finishing a pacesetting third in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Vosburgh here on September 28. The race’s winner, Mufasa, exited to finish 11th in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on November 2 at Del Mar.

The Vosburgh ended a four-race win streak for Dean Delivers that began in his first start for Allard in the Listed Mr. Prospector in May at Monmouth Park, followed by three additional sprint stakes triumphs.

“I guess he enjoys being a racehorse,” Allard said, with a laugh. “Not too many horses show up as often as he does, and he’s a real joy to be around. He’s easy on himself, he’s a really kind horse, and he knows how to take care of himself, but when it comes time to put on the game face, he’s there every time.”

Allard said he had no clear reason for the Vosburgh defeat, leading to a brief freshening through October.

“I don’t know, that was really his only subpar race [since May],” Allard said. “Maybe he needed a race over the track. He didn’t run terrible, but it wasn’t one of his best races. That’s why I decided to go ahead and give him a little break. He’s been feeling really good, his works are good, and I expect him to run well.”

Dean Delivers boasts a Grade 3 win at Friday’s distance when taking last year’s Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park, which was followed by a Grade 1 placing at the same distance with a third in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga Race Course, both for previous conditioner Michael Yates.

Allard said six furlongs is the ideal distance for the consistent gelding, whose wins this year have come from both on the lead and just off the pace.

“I think he’s better off going three-quarters of a mile. We drew a decent post, and I think we can come away from there and find out where he wants to be,” Allard said. “He’s not a horse you want to rush – he’s got a lot of natural speed, but sometimes he shows it and sometimes he lays a little off of it. He runs well both ways.”

Dean Delivers will exit post 5 in the nine-horse field under Kendrick Carmouche. He boasts a lifetime record of 26-9-8-3 with $817,660 in total purse earnings.

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Options open for Witty including Listed $150K Fall Highweight

Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel and trainer Elizabeth Merryman’s Witty was tabbed at odds of 2-1 before Saturday’s $100,000 Dave’s Friend at Laurel Park was canceled, and he has since been cross-entered in Wednesday’s $75,000 Let’s Give Thanks at Parx Racing and Friday’s Listed $150,000 Fall Highweight at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Merryman said no race decision has been made as of Sunday morning, but she does look forward to running the 5-year-old Great Notion gelding back on the dirt after a last-out win sprinting six furlongs at Laurel Park. His other six starts this year were in turf sprints, including a second in the Grade 2 Highlander at Woodbine Racetrack and a victory in the King T. Leatherbury in April at Laurel.

“I think he is fine as long as the turf is on the soft side or has a lot of give to it, or dirt. He likes both, but does not like firm turf at all,” said Merryman. “The good thing about the dirt is that he always comes from off the pace. Dirt is a little more tiring and it wears down the speed horses sometimes and he can close.

“He is kind of a rare horse that runs the same on turf or dirt pretty much,” Merryman continued. “As long as there’s cut in the ground, he ran very well on turf.”

Witty, out of the winning Congrats mare Zeezee Zoomzoom, is a half-brother to multiple Grade 1-winning mare Caravel, who was a force to be reckoned with in turf sprints at the height of her career. Both were bred in Pennsylvania by Merryman.

“He started out on dirt and we switched him to turf for a couple reasons. He almost lost his eye and it took a long time to rehab him. He was a little funny about dirt hitting him in the face for a little while. So between that situation and Caravel, that’s why we thought let’s give turf a try,” said Merryman, who equipped Witty with blinkers last out for added protection and confidence.

Merryman also provided an update on Jean Valjean, who was a pacesetting third in the local Listed $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship on November 9, finishing a head behind the first-place dead-heat of Works for Me and Alogon.

“He came back great. He’s on a winter vacation and then he’ll be back in the spring,” Merryman said. “He’s a pretty fast horse, and loves the five or five and a half [furlongs]. We’ve decided to keep him on the grass and save him for the spring.”

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