Aqueduct Racetrack | Horse Racing Free Tips

Trainer Nevin ‘Pleased’ With Happy Medium’s 2021 Performances

Jay Em Ess Stable's Happy Medium equaled his career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure when he coasted home the seven-length winner of a non-winners of two optional claimer going 6 ½ furlongs Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

A 3-year-old son of Runhappy, Happy Medium has gone 3-for-4 this year, his only loss coming in his debut where he finished third going seven furlongs at Aqueduct in March.

Michelle Nevin, who trains the Kentucky-bred gelding, said that she was pleased with Happy Medium's effort.

“He's doing all the right things,” said Nevin. “We're very happy with him and we are taking each logical step as he's gone along and he's really shown up.”

Happy Medium earned his first 103 Beyer with a 9 ¼ length maiden special weight winner at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., in his second start. He followed with a five-length victory over a sloppy and sealed main track at Aqueduct on November 13.

Nevin said Happy Medium's effort Saturday was the best of his career.

“Yesterday, he looked more in control of the race every step of the way,” Nevin said. “When he broke his maiden, he did it easily but it maybe didn't look as impressive as yesterday.”

Nevin said she is content to take her time with Happy Medium, who finished the 6 ½ furlongs in a final time of 1:15.88, 1.53 seconds off the track record of 1:14.35.

“We'll just get past this and get past this, get back to training, and see how we are and then we'll make our decisions down the road a little bit,” Nevin said. “We're going to have to see how he comes out of this race. It was a huge effort, so I'm not in a rush to pick a spot. Once I feel like he's back on his feet again, we'll see what's available to us.”

Nevin also provided an update on multiple stakes winner My Boy Tate and stakes winner Our Last Buck, who finished second and third, respectively, in the Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series on December 5.

My Boy Tate, whose last win came in the Leon Reed Memorial at Finger Lakes Racetrack in Farmington, N.Y., two starts back, worked a half-mile in :49.55 Sunday morning over Belmont Park's dirt training track.

Nevin said the 7-year-old gelding could be headed to the $100,000 Say Florida Sandy – slated for January 8 at the Big A – for a fourth time after winning the seven-furlong sprint for state-breds in 2018 and finishing off the board the last two years.

“He's doing good,” Nevin said. “We're happy with how he's been. I think there's a spot for him in January, so we'll see.”

Our Last Buck also worked Sunday, completing his half-mile drill over Belmont's training track in :51.89. Nevin said she will bide her time and let the 7-year-old gelding let her know what the next move will be for him.

“He's going great, too,” said Nevin. “We aren't in any rush and we'll see what becomes available for him.”

The post Trainer Nevin ‘Pleased’ With Happy Medium’s 2021 Performances appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Forewarned Pulls Off Upset In Queens County At Aqueduct

Every once in a while, Uriah St. Lewis pulls off an upset in a stakes race and Sunday's Queens County was another one of those surprises. Breaking from the outside of the field of nine, Forewarned went five-wide on the far turn to find racing room down the center of the stretch and pass the dueling duo of Empty Tomb and Backsideofthemoon to take the stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., by 1 1/4 lengths.

Going off at a big price, Forewarned broke from post nine, settling midpack as Bal Harbour, Empty Tomb, and Backsideofthemoon battled three across for the lead around the first turn and down the backstretch of the 1 1/8-mile stakes. Coming out of the far turn, Backsideofthemoon had a narrow lead over Empty Tomb, with Bal Harbour still battling to their outside.

Into the Aqueduct straight, Empty Tomb and Backsideofthemoon battled as Bal Harbour fell back. On their outside, down the center of the track, Forewarned mounted his bid for the lead, jockey Dexter Haddock driving the son of Flat Out for the lead. Inside the last sixteenth, Forewarned caught the dueling frontrunners, pulling away to win by a length. Empty Tomb pulled ahead of Backsideofthemoon in the race's final strides to take second. Olliemyboy, Bal Harbour, Mystic Night, Bourbonic, You're to Blame, and Shooger Ray Too rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:51.90. Find this race's chart here.

Forewarned paid $86.00, $24.00, and $13.00. Empty Tomb paid $9.10 and $5.90. Backsideofthemoon paid $6.10.

“He was working well into this race. The thing with him is he wants longer distances. The longer the better and that's what we were trying to do. He won the Best of Ohio Endurance three years in a row which is a mile and a quarter,” owner/trainer Uriah St. Lewis said after the Queens County. “We're going to keep him in longer distance races over the winter. The mile and an eighth is great for him. Anything that Dexter [Haddock] is willing to ride, we're willing to take the chance.”

“I saw a couple of horses fighting up front around the first turn. I knew I had a lot of horse when I made my move and he came with a big run at the end. He was training so well in the morning, and he felt good today,” jockey Dexter Haddock told the NYRA Press Office after the race.

Bred in Ohio by Preston Stables LLC, who also bred Gravesend winner Chateau, Forewarned is by Flat Out out of the Five Star Day mare Fortune Play. He is owned by his trainer Uriah St. Lewis. Consigned by Bill Reightler, agent for Preston Stables LLC, Forewarned was sold for $40,000 at the December 2018 Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic Mixed Sale. With his win in the Queens County, the 6-year-old horse has two wins in 13 starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 45-10-7-4 and career earnings of $762,383.

The post Forewarned Pulls Off Upset In Queens County At Aqueduct appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Yo Cuz Graduates To Stakes Winner In NYSSS Fifth Avenue

Dream Maker Racing's Yo Cuz made every pole a winning one in Saturday's $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juvenile fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the Laoban bay, who entered from a debut fifth in a state-bred maiden special weight sprint on November 21 at the Big A, broke third and was hustled to the lead by returning rider Jose Ortiz from post 5 to mark the opening quarter-mile in :22.96.

Yo Cuz maintained her lead down the backstretch through an easy half-mile in :47.10, a length in front of Bank On Anna with Laochi stalking another length back in third under Eric Cancel.

Morning Matcha, the 8-5 morning-line favorite piloted by Kendrick Carmouche, settled last of-11 through the opening quarter-mile but was keen to follow the rallying Shigeko through the turn as Yo Cuz attempted to kick clear of the field.

Yo Cuz opened up a four-length lead over Laochi at the stretch call as Morning Matcha overtook Shigeko and powered into contention down the center of the track. A game and determined Morning Matcha continued to find more but there was no reeling in Yo Cuz, who crossed the wire 1 3/4-lengths in front in a final time of 1:25.34.

Ortiz said Yo Cuz was much improved at second asking after experiencing trouble at the gate on debut.

“She was squeezed out of there and she was very green, too,” Ortiz said of the first-out effort. “I just sat patiently and tried to teach her some stuff. I didn't want to rush her. She's a big filly and she closed well last time. I was very happy with the race. I knew second time she was going to be a lot better. I expected she was going to win a maiden; I didn't know she was going to run in here. I knew this race was going to be a little bit tougher, but she proved that she belongs.

“She was ready today. She broke well today and he [Mott] worked on what she needed – breaking better, which she did,” Ortiz added. “She broke very clean and when I went to take position and looked around me, nobody could keep up with me in the first quarter. So, when I took [the lead] I slowed it down nicely and she was very relaxed.”

Ortiz, a three-time winner on the card, continued a solid run of form after going 3-for-3 on Friday night at Remington Park Oklahoma City, Okla., winning the She's All In with Casual, the Trapeze with Optionality, and the Springboard Mile with Make It Big.

“When you ride good horses, this is what happens. You get more chances to win races,” Ortiz said. “I appreciate all the opportunities I have been getting with big owners and big trainers supporting my career. That's what it's all about. You have to have the horse to win.”

Tom Gallo, managing partner of Dream Maker Racing, said he always had high hopes for Yo Cuz.

“When we first gave Bill the horse, we had this race in mind,” Gallo said. “When I mentioned it to Bill, he looked at me and laughed a little bit because he had just got her. But then she started to breeze at Saratoga and was training really well. We wanted to get one race in her before this and she ran fifth about four weeks ago. She broke bad, trailed the field but then weaved her way between horses and galloped out past the leader. When we spoke to Jose Ortiz after the race, he said that he really liked the horse. It's nice to have continuity because he knew her.”

Gallo said the $125,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase made a good first impression.

“The thing that stood out for us was that she was one of the few in that sale who galloped and didn't breeze,” Gallo said. “We like when people take time with their horses. The fact that she was a good size and came out of a good consignment [Hidden Brook] was appealing.”

Morning Matcha completed the exacta by five lengths over Laochi with Shigeko, Bank On Anna, Laoban's Legacy, She's a Big Deal, Alicia's Way, Howdyoumakeurmoney, Mrs. Banks, and Half Birthday rounding out the order of finish.

Carmouche said the slow-starting Morning Matcha, who maintained a perfect in-the-money record of 7-2-3-2, will not be hustled.

“She breaks a little slow and gets herself together, but you can't rush her,” Carmouche said. “She's going to pick up the bit when she wants. Today, we were just second best.”

Bred in New York by Seidman Stables, Yo Cuz, out of the Tale of Ekati mare Steve's Philly, banked $275,000 in victory while improving her record to 2-1-0-0. She paid $8.00 for a $2.00 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a nine-race card featuring the $100,000 Gravesend in Race 7 and the $125,000 Queens County in Race 8. 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.

The post Yo Cuz Graduates To Stakes Winner In NYSSS Fifth Avenue appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Wondrwherecraigis Works In Preparation For Gravesend

Trainer Brittany Russell worked Grade 3-winning sprinter Wondrwherecraigis Saturday in his final drill for next Sunday's $100,000 Gravesend, a six-furlong handicap for 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The gelded son of Munnings posted a four-furlong breeze in :50 flat over the main track at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

“He is training along really well and as long as he comes out of that work well, all systems are go for the Gravesend,” Russell said. “He's really straightforward and we try and keep him happy. It's more or less just maintenance and he's ready to go.”

Hoping to extend his career-best form to Aqueduct when he runs at the Big A for the first time next weekend, Wondrwherecraigis was a driving winner of the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., last out on October 31.

The Bold Ruler was the first graded victory for the Michael Dubb and Elkstone Group-owned gelding, who crossed the finish line first in the G3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., in September, but was disqualified and placed behind runner-up Jalen Journey for interference in the stretch.

Russell said Wondrwherecraigis' performance in the Bold Ruler showed his professionalism.

“He knows his job and we know he's fast,” said Russell. “We just hold him together and keep him happy. He does his thing in the morning and he's a smart horse. In the afternoon he does tend to do a little drifting, but hopefully, all that is behind us now.”

His latest work is his second at Pimlico after moving from Laurel Park as the dirt surface there undergoes renovation. Russell says the move has not bothered the dark bay.

“I have stalls at Pimlico so he joined us over there and hasn't missed a beat. I think he actually liked the change of scenery,” Russell said with a laugh.

The post Wondrwherecraigis Works In Preparation For Gravesend appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post