The matter involves Jeff Drown, the owner of Remsen second-place finisher Zandon (Upstart), who said that the actions of victor Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and that colt's jockey, Irad Ortiz, Jr., cost him the win, which was decided by only a nose. In the immediate aftermath of the race, the stewards conducted an inquiry and listened to a foul claim lodged by jockey John Velazquez, but let the order of finish stand without any disqualification.

On Dec. 9, Drown, through his lawyer, Drew Mollica, lodged a protest with the NYSGC over the non-DQ, arguing that the very tight margin of victory was part of what merited a second look by the commission.

The Blood-Horse first reported Dec. 20 that there is no mechanism in this instance for the NYSGC to overturn the stewards' decision. That story quoted NYSGC communications director Brad Maione, who said, “The Remsen was declared official by the stewards. There is no process for appeal once the race is declared final by the stewards.”

That decision was news to Mollica, who spoke to TDN on Monday both before and after checking with his client to confirm that the NYSGC had never alerted either of them that their formal protest would not move forward.

“Neither my client nor I have been officially informed of any action or inaction by the gaming commission,” Mollica said. “As such, we have no comment. But we are surprised there are press stories about this without the gaming commission contacting us. When we are officially informed that that's their position, we'll weigh our options.”

When TDN attempted to get a clarification from Maione via email Monday afternoon, Maione did not directly answer a question asking if the NYSGC had made any attempt to communicate with Drown. Instead, Maione's reply contained only a link to the original stewards' decision from Dec. 4, plus a copy of commission rule 4025.1.

That rule states, “Every person subscribing to a sweepstake or entering a horse in a race to be run under this Article accepts the decision of the stewards or the decision of the commission, as the case may be, on any question relating to a race or to racing.”

As the two colts crested the eighth pole in lockstep for the final furlong of the Remsen, Mo Donegal tightened the gap between them under right-handed stick work from Ortiz, then the two colts bumped and brushed approaching the wire.

The Equibase chart described how Ortiz threw “repeated exaggerated crosses with the left-hand rein near the face of the runner-up” in an “attempt to intimidate” Zandon.

Velazquez said post-race that Mo Donegal, “laid on top of me right before the wire and just beat me by very little.”

The day after the Remsen, Ortiz was suspended 30 days by the Aqueduct stewards for careless riding, primarily for his role in unseating another jockey in a Dec. 3 race. But state steward Braulio Baeza, Jr. told Daily Racing Form Dec. 5 that part of that penalty also had to do with Ortiz's stretch ride in the Remsen.

In addition, there were two substitute stewards on the job at Aqueduct on the day of the Remsen, when state steward Baeza and Jockey Club steward Jennifer Durenberger were both not officiating the races.

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The 8-5 post-time favorite in the field of seven, Glass Ceiling broke from post position 6 with Dylan Davis up and settled at the back of the pack, racing three-wide as Sadie Lady led the field through an opening quarter-mile in :22.27 over the sloppy and sealed main track. Inching a bit closer at the half-mile pole, Glass Ceiling was swung to the outside and came under a ride from Davis rounding the turn to try and catch Sadie Lady.

Driving down the lane to the finish, Davis kept busy on the daughter of Constitution, rousing her to find more at the end and overtake the lead at the furlong pole. Glass Ceiling drew away from runner-up Call On Mischief at the sixteenth-pole and stopped the clock in a final time of 1:11.19.

Davis said the track condition led him to choose an outside path for the filly.

“The kickback was really bothering her,” said Davis. “I just tried to get on heels behind the four [Just Read It] and the three [Letmetakethiscall] and save some ground, but she just wasn't handling it. I just opted to come outside. She's way better than what she was doing down the backside and I was able to get her in the clear. I had to sacrifice some ground for her to have some clean air and once she came out, she came with a full run.”

Davis guided Glass Ceiling to an allowance score in September ahead of a runner-up effort to Lady Rocket last out in a division of the Pumpkin Pie in October, both at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

“She's nice to ride and she does everything well,” Davis said. “Charlie does a good job with her and I think we're going to have a good time this winter.”

Baker echoed Davis' sentiments about the off-track.

“She didn't handle the kickback very well,” Baker said. “Once she turned for home and got clear, it seemed like she was doing it well. She's a nice filly and she tries all the time. She's getting there. She's definitely on the improve. Hopefully, she has more in the tank to go forward. That's what we're gambling on.”

Runner-up in the faster division of the seven-furlong Pumpkin Pie in her prior start, Baker said the cutback in distance did not benefit Glass Ceiling.

“Seven-eighths might be a little more her distance, but I think she's sharp enough where she's comfortable with six furlongs,” Baker said.

Call On Mischief, who exited the inside post under Jose Lezcano, saved ground in fourth and raced along the rail up the backstretch and into the turn before being swung to the center of the racetrack. Under a strong ride, she made her bid for Glass Ceiling but could not match her foe and settled for second.

“She ran a huge race,” Lezcano said. “The winner has just been running so well lately. My filly gave me her race, she did nothing wrong.”

The New York-bred Letmetakethiscall finished third, 2 ½ lengths the better of fellow state-bred Sadie Lady, who tired and held on to fourth over Song River by a nose to round out the superfecta.

Starfront and Just Read It completed the order of finish.

Now with a stakes victory to her credit, Baker says a start in the $100,000 Interborough on January 15 at Aqueduct may be on the table for Glass Ceiling.

“I think we're going to go until February and then give her a break until the spring and then get her back,” Baker said. “That's my plan right now. I'm looking at the [Interborough] and then maybe Maryland in February.”

Glass Ceiling banked $55,000 for her Garland of Roses victory, increasing her total purse winnings to $332,612 and improving her record to 5-6-4 from 23 starts. A $2 win wager on Glass Ceiling returned $5.30.

Glass Ceiling's victory was the third Garland of Roses win for Baker, who took down last year's running with Honor Way and the 2014 edition with Expression.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race card to wrap up week one of the winter meet at the Big A. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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The $1 Pick 6 returned $20,365.50 to bettors who selected 5-of-6 winners correctly.

Saturday's Pick 6 sequence kicked off in Race 5 when Dylan Davis engineered a winning trip aboard the Ray Handal-trained Ricky's Revenge [No. 9, $12], who earned his first victory in four starts for a $30,000 tag.

Harrel Ventures' Chanceux [No. 1, $3.90] broke his maiden at second asking for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in Race 6, going six furlongs over the outer turf.

Veteran conditioner Mitchell Friedman saddled Willaway [No. 4, $94.50] to her first triumph since February 2020 when taking Race 7, a 6 ½-furlong main track allowance optional claimer for New York-bred fillies and mares. Heman Harkie piloted the 5-year-old daughter of Dublin.

Jay Em Ess Stable's Happy Medium [No. 5, $2.90] was the shortest price in the sequence when defeating winners going six furlongs in Race 8 for trainer Michelle Nevin. Manny Franco is now 2-for-2 aboard the son of Runhappy.

Bruno Schickedanz's Mandate [No. 12, $91.50] upset graded stakes winner Tell Your Daddy to capture the $150,000 Artie Schiller in Race 9 going one mile over the inner turf. Pennsylvania-based rider Andrew Wolfsont engineered the winning trip for trainer Robert Johnston.

Closing out the sequence in Race 10 was Sunny Crest Farm's Alicia's Way [No. 8, $32.80], who made her third career start a winning one for a $40,000 tag going 6 ½ furlongs over the main track. Eric Cancel, leading rider at the 2020 Big A winter meet, guided the Laoban juvenile filly for trainer Chris Englehart.

Sunday's Pick 6 kicks off in Race 4 at 1:46 p.m. Eastern and includes the $150,000 Winter Memories for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf in Race 8. First post on the nine-race card is 12:20 p.m.

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

The post Sunday’s Pick 6 At Aqueduct Boosted By $61,096 Carryover appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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“He went extremely well,”  trainer Bob Baffert said of the 3-year-old colt.

Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a debut win at Del Mar last November, Life is Good is now two-for-two after opening his sophomore campaign with a win in the Jan. 2 GIII Sham S.

Also working Monday from the Baffert barn, Freedom Fighter (Violence) went four furlongs in :48.60 (11/66). The 3-year-old colt, a first-out victor at Del Mar last August, returned to finish second in the Feb. 6 GII San Vicente S. He is expected to make his next start in the Mar. 6 GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct.

Both the San Felipe and the Gotham offer 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, and 20, 10, five to the horses finishing second through fourth.

The Baffert-trained Gamine (Into Mischief), recently crowned Eclipse champion female sprinter, also worked Monday at Santa Anita, covering four furlongs in an easy :50.20 (48/66). The 4-year-old was most recently seen winning the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint.

In other news from Santa Anita, the Arcadia track announced Monday that it has increased the purse of the China Doll S. to be run Mar. 6 from $75,000 to $100,000. Santa Anita will also raise purses on all overnight races on that day's Big 'Cap card by $15,000 per race.

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“My agent Charlie Allen, who was at Fasig-Tipton, picked him out,” Sharp said Tuesday evening from his Scottsdale, Arizona, home. “He picked out a few horses and I watched Hot Rod's races and the horse has a lot of guts. He seems to be a little immature still, but I like horses who look like they can improve. And this is definitely one of them.”

Hello Hot Rod won back-to-back starts at Laurel late last year and was coming off a gritty victory in the Jimmy Winkfield S. at Aqueduct just days before the Fasig-Tipton auction.

“I have high hopes for him,” Sharp said of the 3-year-old colt. “It might be a little too late to get to the Derby, but hopefully the Breeders' Cup where he will have a choice of races that we can get him into.”

Hello Hot Rod is expected to head west and arrive at the Turf Paradise base of trainer Shawn Davis this weekend.

“We will evaluate him over a week or two and work him and check his maturity level,” Sharp said of plans for his latest acquisition. “The Turf Paradise Derby, which is a 3-year-old $50,000 stakes, is on Mar. 12. If we feel he needs an easy spot to braven up, we might put him in there. But it is possible, if we feel he is strong enough, that we might go to a different Derby prep, or pre-Derby prep. And then see how he does. Or we can just go to the Turf Paradise Derby and then decide if we are going to do a Derby prep.”

Davis, a three-time world champion saddle bronc rider and a member of the Pro-Rodeo Hall of Fame, trains 2018 GIII Aristides S. winner Chief Cicatriz (Munnings).

“We are here [at Turf Paradise] for now, until April or May, and then we are going to decide if we are going to either Kentucky or California or Texas,” Sharp said of plans for the Davis stable. “It's more likely that the barn is going east than west. And if we do it make it to Churchill [for the Derby] by some fluke of a chance, then we will probably just head that way a little earlier.”

Sharp is an investor and in mergers and acquisitions, as well as conducting investigations into stock market fraud. His first involvement in racing came in the Standardbred industry in the late 1990s.

“I was living in Los Angeles at the time and I was racing at Los Alamitos and then there was no more racing at Los Alamitos,” Sharp said. “So I raced around the country for a little while, but it consumed my life a little too much. The Standardbreds race every week and I always had a race somewhere in the country. I was traveling too much and neglecting the rest of my life. So I took a little siesta from the business and then I went into Thoroughbreds in 2015.”

Sharp currently has 13 horses based at Turf Paradise, plus one runner in California. He also has two broodmares in California.

“I'm in the business of racing,” he said. “I raise them to race them.”

Sharp said he is passionate about his horses and isn't afraid to get a little emotional after a special win. He scored his first victory at Del Mar with League of Shadows (Gotham City) in a 2019 allowance contest.

He said of that experience, “League of Shadows is a horse who has had a lot of health issues. I spent $60,000 to save his life once, but I love my animals. It's what I do. But if you watch the TVG replay, they interviewed me afterwards and I was very emotional in the winner's circle. You save a horse's life and then he goes and wins an allowance race, it's very emotional. I don't think I would be emotional if I won the Kentucky Derby, but that horse winning that race was a big deal to me.”

Sharp's stable includes a 2-year-old half-sister to League of Shadows who he hopes to see go postward later this year.

“I wouldn't mind getting a couple of older horses for some of the minor stakes around,” Sharp said of plans for his stable. “But they have proven to be very difficult to buy or even claim. I've been out-shook on so many claims at Santa Anita, I've been on a cold streak. I missed out on another 3-year-old that I really coveted. So today, I was just determined I was not going to lose.”

Sharp said Hello Hot Rod's $335,000 price tag was “by far” the most expensive horse he had ever purchased. But the colt wasn't Sharp's only purchase Tuesday. He also purchased a 2-year-old filly privately, spending $250,000 for a daughter of Daredevil out of stakes winner Jaws N' Paws (Onebadshark).

“The second most expensive horse I've bought was the filly I bought this morning,” Sharp said. “She is coming to Turf Paradise. They tell me she is the absolute real deal. She's already breezing, so we'll see how she progresses and then make a decision on her. It's going to be a fun year.”

And Sharp is more than ready to welcome Hello Hot Rod to Arizona.

“We are already planning some Hello Hot Rod giveaways, the obligatory hats, and he'll probably have a Twitter account by the end of the week,” Sharp said.

He concluded, “I like the business. I have always liked the business. It's not exactly a good investment, but it's more fun than I could ever possibly have imagined.”

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