May, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Manny Franco Top Jock At Aqueduct Spring Meet, Linda Rice Leads All Trainers

The 19-day Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet, which ran from March 30 to April 30, saw jockey Manny Franco and trainer Linda Rice repeat as the leaders in their respective divisions after taking the titles at this year's Aqueduct winter meet.

Franco paced all other riders to secure his second Big A spring meet riding title with 37 wins while Rice won her fourth Aqueduct spring meet training title with 17 wins.

Franco, a 28-year-old native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, earned the eighth riding title of his career. He was the leading rider on the NYRA circuit in 2018-19 and in addition to his back-to-back meet titles this year, he has also won the 2018 Aqueduct winter and fall; 2019 Aqueduct winter and spring; 2019 Belmont fall; and 2020 Aqueduct winter.

“I'm very grateful for the help of every owner and every trainer,” said Franco. “I'm just happy to keep with the momentum. It means a lot and I try to take advantage of every opportunity I have. It's been paying off.”

Among his meet highlights were stakes scores aboard Law Professor in the Excelsior, Big Everest in the Danger's Hour, Balpool in an off-the-turf edition of the Memories of Silver, and Today's Flavor in the state-bred Affirmed Success on Closing Day. He completed the meet with a 124-37-22-15 record and earnings of $2,078,457, good for a win rate of 29.84 percent and an in-the-money rate of 59.68 percent.

“There were so many winners and I can't just pick one standout,” said Franco. “Every winner means something, and I'm just grateful for all of them. Law Professor isn't easy to ride sometimes, but I get along with him very well and he's won both times I've been on him. I'm happy to ride him. I just want to keep winning and keep the momentum into Belmont.”

Jose Ortiz finished second with a record of 65-16-17-10 while Kendrick Carmouche secured third with a record of 82-14-10-15.

Rice, 59, enjoyed a record of 66-17-13-7 with $1,055,253 in total earnings, giving her a win rate of 25.76 percent and in-the-money percentage of 56.06. It was the 10th overall training title for Rice, whose other wins came at the 2009 Saratoga Race Course meet; 2011 Aqueduct spring [tie]; 2011 Belmont spring/summer [tie]; 2012 Aqueduct spring; 2017 Aqueduct spring [tie]; 2019 Aqueduct winter; 2020 Aqueduct winter; 2022 Aqueduct fall; and aforementioned 2023 Aqueduct winter.

“It's been a very good winter and spring. New York is a tough place, so I'm very excited about it,” Rice said. “Once we got through the winter meet I thought, 'well that will be it for a while,' but things fell into place and went well at the spring meet.”

Rice's meet was headlined by back-to-back graded stakes victories on April 7-8, beginning with Mommasgottarun, who wheeled back on five day's rest to win the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap. Just 24 hours later, Joey Freshwater notched his first stakes score in the Grade 3 Bay Shore. She also celebrated a victory in the NYSSS Park Avenue when Les Bon Temps was elevated to victory for the third stakes win of her career.

“That weekend with the two graded wins was amazing, especially since it was with horses we claimed for $50,000,” said Rice. “Tonal Impact and Majority Partner have run great, and those horses haven't won stakes, but they're horses we claimed last year and they have done super. I'm so proud of the horses, and my team has been working super hard. When you go to Belmont and Saratoga, the water gets so much deeper. We're hoping to have some momentum and keep it going. We'll do the best we can.”

Rob Atras finished second with a record of 37-9-5-4 while Chad Brown finished third with a 37-8-7-9 record.

Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables, who have been the leading year-end owner each year on the NYRA circuit since 2019, earned their 21st owners' title at a NYRA meet. Klaravich Stables ended the meet with four wins, capped by an allowance victory on April 23 by the Chad Brown-trained Systemic Change.

Klaravich Stables completed the meet with a record of 18-4-4-3 and earnings of $270,622. It was a five-way tie for second between Peter Brant, Beast Mode Racing, Ten Strike Racing, Madaket Stables and Roger Cimbora Jr., who each posted three wins at the meet.

Live racing resumes Thursday on Opening Day of the spring/summer meet at Belmont Park with a nine-race card. First post is 1 p.m. (ET).

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Franco, Rice, Klaravich Close Out Aqueduct Spring Meet on Top

The 19-day Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet, which ran from Mar. 30 to Apr. 30, closed out with jockey Manny Franco and trainer Linda Rice repeat as the leaders in their respective divisions after taking the titles at this year's Aqueduct winter meet. Franco secured his second Big A spring meet riding title with 37 wins while Rice won her fourth Aqueduct spring meet training title with 17 wins.

Franco, a 28-year-old native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, earned the eighth riding title of his career.

Jose Ortiz finished second with a record of 65-16-17-10 while Kendrick Carmouche secured third with a record of 82-14-10-15.

Rice enjoyed a record of 66-17-13-7 with $1,055,253 in total earnings, giving her a strike rate of 25.76% and in-the-money percentage of 56.06%. It was the 10th overall training title for Rice.

“It's been a very good winter and spring,” she said. “New York is a tough place, so I'm very excited about it. Once we got through the winter meet I thought, 'well that will be it for a while,' but things fell into place and went well at the spring meet.”

Rob Atras finished second with a record of 37-9-5-4 while Chad Brown finished third with a 37-8-7-9 record.

Klaravich Stables ended the meet with a record of 18-4-4-3 and earnings of $270,622. It was a five-way tie for second between Peter Brant, Beast Mode Racing, Ten Strike Racing, Madaket Stables and Roger Cimbora, Jr., who each posted three wins at the meet.

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Supplemented New York Thunder Romps Unchallenged To Woodstock Triumph At Woodbine

Kentucky-bred New York Thunder made it three straight scores to start his career after romping to victory in the $133,250 Woodstock Stakes for 3-year-olds on Sunday at Woodbine.

Ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., New York Thunder, making his 3-year-old debut, was sent off as the 1-5 choice in the six-furlong Tapeta race, and thoroughly dominated his rivals to the tune of a 7½-length win in a time of 1:08.45.

New York Thunder wasn't first out of the gate, but quickly took control with Ship the Goods and Ninetyfour Expos sitting second and third, respectively, after an opening quarter mile in :22.76. Ahead by a length after a half reached in :45.18, the son of Nyquist rocketed away from his pursuers with ease around the turn for home.

It was the first stakes test for the Jorge Delgado trainee, who rolled to victory in his debut at Gulfstream in November, a 6½-length triumph on the all-weather track. One race later, on December 30, New York Thunder notched a 1¾-length win in a five-furlong turf race.

Supplemented to the Woodstock, the bay colt didn't miss a beat on another rainy day in Toronto.

“He broke really good and was really happy on the lead,” said Santana. “I was really comfortable with him. Turning for home, I could feel the company come to me. As soon as he felt it, I asked him a little bit and he took off. He [Delgado] told me the horse was ready to run. He was highly confident in the horse.”

Ninetyfour Expos, Stayhonor Goodside, Opposites Attract, Ship the Goods, and Gran Spirited completed the order of finish.

Bred by in Kentucky by Gatewood Bell and Forgotten Land, New York Thunder was produced by Midshipman mare Start Over. He is owned by AMO Racing USA and was a $130,000 purchase from Threave Main Stud at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale.

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Kentucky Juvenile Entrant Hibernacle Sells For $310,000 At Keeneland April Sale

Hibernacle, who is entered in Thursday's Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs, would race under a different owner than the one who entered her after selling to Heider Family Stables for $310,000 on Sunday at the Keeneland April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale.

The 2-year-old Hootenanny filly broke her maiden on debut at Keeneland Race Course on April 12, dusting a field of fillies in a 4 1/2-furlong race by 7 1/2 lengths as the post time favorite. She raced as a homebred for trainer Wesley Ward, who also stands her sire Hootenanny at his farm.

Hibernacle is one of six horses entered in the Kentucky Juvenile, and one of two fillies aiming to face open competition in the five-furlong race. Joel Rosario, who rode the filly in her debut, retained the mount in the entries.

“I'm not 100 percent sure whether she'll take up that engagement or not,” said bloodstock agent David Lanigan, who signed the ticket on behalf of Heider Family Stables. “It's not what we usually do, but Mr. (Scott) Heider will have a think overnight and make a plan from there. The plan long-term is most of our horses will go to Brendan Walsh.

“[Heider] usually likes to see them go out and prove themselves, then try to do something, but he liked her enough, and he saw her in the sale,” Lanigan continued. “Hopefully, they have some fun with them.”

Hibernacle is out of the uplaced Officer mare Searchingforahero, who Ward owned and raced, as well. All three of her foals to race are winners, and the extended family includes Grade 2 winner Bad 'n Big.

Ward said he sold the filly outright, and he would not retain any ownership as her career went on.

“Keeneland approached me here about selling, and I kind of left it alone because it's real sentimental,” he said. “I breed these things as more of a hobby. This filly is from my sire, who also lives across the street from Keeneland. She ran so impressively. I was real excited about getting her in this stakes. Keeneland's been so good to me over the years, I just thought I would try to be good back to them as well.”

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Hibernacle was not present in the ring for the auction, though Ward said the filly received plenty of shopping activity at his barn across the street from the track in the Rice Road training barns.

“I wanted to do the right thing by the horse,” he said. “I just thought coming into the ring would upset her a bit. I didn't want to inhibit any chances for the race.”

Lanigan said Heider was at the track the day Hibernacle broke her maiden, and the performance stuck out to him. Though the Heider operation primarily races in Europe, the agent said the owner was looking forward to having another promising runner for the U.S. string.

“She's a nice, good-sized filly,” Lanigan said. “She doesn't look like one of those typical early 2-year-olds that looks like she'll be finished in the middle of the summer.”

Hunter Valley Farm consigned Hibernacle, as agent.

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