Jay Em Ess Stable's Kentucky homebred Full Moon Madness will look to make the grade in Sunday's Grade 3, $150,000 Nashua, a one-turn mile over the main track for juveniles at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Michelle Nevin, the Into Mischief bay is out of the multiple graded-stakes winner By the Moon, who was campaigned by these connections to Grade 1 wins in the 2017 Ballerina at Saratoga Race Course and 2014 Frizette at Belmont Park. Nevin also galloped his second dam, the multiple graded-stakes placed By the Light, who finished second in the 2008 Grade 1 Prioress at Saratoga and won nine stakes in a distinguished career.
Nevin said her familiarity with the family line is beneficial.
“It's a helpful thing, but you still have to look at them as individuals,” Nevin said. “He's a very nice looking horse and very athletic. He trains well. He's ran nicely all three times and he's just a baby that's coming along. I'm not comparing him in his day-to-day training with his mother. He's progressing and showing that it's time for the next step.”
Full Moon Madness made his first two starts at the Spa, finishing third on both occasions, including in a seven-furlong sprint on September 3 that runner-up Tapit's Conquest exited to win a maiden special weight route at Churchill Downs.
He added blinkers in his third-out graduation traveling 6 1/2-furlongs from the outermost post 6 over a sloppy and sealed main track on October 1 at Belmont at the Big A. That effort garnered a field-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure.
“Unfortunately, in his first and second starts he had the one-hole and that's a lot to overcome for a baby. But I thought he ran well and respectable,” Nevin said. “There were a lot of things that were different in his last race. He added the blinkers, but he also had a much better post position.”
Nevin also acknowledged that Full Moon Madness may have moved up on a wet surface that his dam excelled on, including scores in the slop in the Frizette and the 2017 Grade 3 Vagrancy.
“That was good,” said Nevin, with a laugh regarding the off going.
Nevin said the stretch out in distance shouldn't hinder Full Moon Madness, noting that they are not committed to making the lead.
“He handled seven-eighths just fine and this is just part of the steps that we'll have to try with him. He'll show us what he really wants to do,” Nevin said. “We don't know his style yet. He's only run three times, so all of these races are just stepping stones for us learning more about the horse.”
Manny Franco retains the mount from the inside post aboard Full Moon Madness, who breezed a swift five-eighths in 1:00.01 on October 23 over the Belmont dirt training track.
Rosedown Racing Stables' Champions Dream [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], a $425,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, earned a 74 Beyer for his first-out graduation sprinting seven furlongs in September at the Spa.
Trained by Danny Gargan, the Justify grey followed with a distant fifth-place finish in the one-mile Champagne which was contested over a sloppy and sealed main track on October 1 here.
Champions Dream is out of the graded-stakes winning Tapit mare Dancinginherdreams, who captured the 2010 Grade 2 Pocahontas as a juvenile at Churchill Downs. He has breezed back twice, including a half-mile in 50.78 on Friday over the Saratoga dirt training track.
West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing, Gainesway Stable, Phipps Stable, Ken Langone, Edward Hudson, Jr. and Lane's End Racing's Signator, a $1.7 million OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, will make his stakes debut for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.
Signator has made his two career starts at Belmont at the Big A, closing to finish second in his September 16 debut traveling six furlongs before graduating one month later when stretched out to one-mile over a muddy track. Both efforts garnered a 73 Beyer.
He has posted a pair of bullet half-mile works over Big Sandy since, including a 47.69 effort on October 26 and a 49.20 breeze Wednesday.
“He's been training very well,” McGaughey said. “He came out of his maiden win very good and his work 10 days ago was good. He blew out yesterday in 49 and change. We're looking forward to running him.”
McGaughey said Signator benefitted from the stretch out in distance for his maiden coup.
“I think he wants to run a distance of ground. He'll run as far as you want to run him,” McGaughey said. “I hope he breaks good Sunday and gets a good position. He'll finish up well.”
The Tapit colt, out of the Seeking the Gold mare Pension, is a full-sibling to graded-stakes winner Thoughtfully, who captured the 2020 Grade 2 Adirondack at the Spa; and a half-brother to Annual Report, who won the 2015 Grade 2 Futurity at Belmont.
Hall of Famer Javier Castellano retains the mount from post 3.
WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's American Speed [post 6, Flavien Prat] will make his stakes debut off a gate-to-wire maiden score at second asking on August 31 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, the More Than Ready colt closed to finish third in his August 6 debut traveling five furlongs at Horseshoe Indianapolis before making every pole a winning one last out when stretched out to one-mile and around two turns.
Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, American Speed is out of the graded-stakes placed Quality Road mare Top Quality – a full-sister to Boston Post Road, who won the Pumpkin Pie here last weekend.
Mr. Amore Stable's Torrone [post 2, Trevor McCarthy] made his first two starts at Monmouth Park, winning first up in a six-furlong maiden special weight sprint on August 12 over the main track ahead of an off-the-board effort in the Nownownow at one mile over firm turf.
Last out, the $75,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase finished a distant third in a 5 1/2-furlong optional-claimer contested over a sloppy and sealed main track on October 2 at Laurel Park.
Torrone, who add blinkers, breezed a half-mile in 47.63 Sunday over the Belmont dirt training track.
By Twirling Candy, the dark bay's second dam is Jessica Is Back, who won the 2010 Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap at Calder.
Rounding out the field is Prove Right [post 5, Jose Ortiz], who is trained and co-owned by James Chapman with Stuart Tsujimoto. The Justify bay, a $15,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is the most experienced horse in the field with a record of 7-1-1-1 for purse earnings of
$92,070.
A maiden winner at second asking in June at Churchill Downs, Prove Right enters from a rallying second-place finish in a six-furlong optional-claimer on October 8 at Keeneland.
The Nashua is slated as Race 9 on Sunday's 10-race card, which also features the $150,000 Tempted in Race 3. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.
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