Tag: aqueduct

Performer Seeks Grade I Glory in Cigar Mile

Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm’s Performer (Speightstown) looks to continue his hot streak as he takes his first crack at the highest level Saturday in Aqueduct’s GI Cigar Mile. Graduating at second asking at Belmont in June 2019, the chestnut captured a 6 1/2-panel allowance at Saratoga that August and a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer at Belmont last September. Closing out his sophomore season with a victory in this venue’s GIII Discovery S. just over a year ago, Performer was subsequently shelved and resurfaced with an optional claimer score in the mud at Belmont Oct. 17.

“He’s training well. It has been a while since he ran, but he’ll be fit enough,” trainer Shug McGaughey told the NYRA notes team. “He’s been over that track before. He seems to be doing as well now as he’s ever done.”

Grade I winner Firenze Fire (Poseidon’s Warrior) poses one of the biggest threats to likely favorite Performer here. Transferred from Jason Servis to Kelly Breen following the former’s federal indictment, the bay was fourth in the GI Carter H. June 6 and scored his first win for his new barn in Belmont’s GII True North S. June 27. Fourth in Saratoga’s GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. July 25, he was a disappointing 11th in a sloppy renewal of that venue’s GI Forego S. Aug. 29. Capturing the GII Vosburgh Invitational S. back at Belmont Sept. 26, Firenze Fire rallied from well back to by third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint S. at Keeneland Nov. 7.

“He’s doing well but right now the main concern is the weather,” admitted Breen. “If the track is sloppy, I don’t think we’re going to run. There are a couple of other options for him. But if the rain misses us, we’re running. He’s ready to go.”

Talented sophomore King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) takes on his elders in this return to action. Graduating in dominant fashion on turf in his second start at Gulfstream West last November, the bay was third in the grassy Pulpit S. in Hallandale Nov. 30. Switched back to the main track, he blew up the tote with a decisive score at 49-1 in the GII Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 7 and ran second to Nadal (Blame) in their division of the GI Arkansas Derby May 2. King Guillermo was a late defection from the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby after spiking a fever just days before the race and displays a series of speedy drills at Gulfstream in the interim.

“He’s good. He’s ready,” conditioner Juan Avila said. “He’s getting ready to face that challenge. The mile will be good for him because he’s had seven months without a race.”

Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) could make some noise at a price here. The MGISW has not been at his best since racing resumed in June, but he is four-for-five at Aqueduct, including wins in the GIII Toboggan S. and GIII Tom Fool H. earlier this year.

“He’s been right on cue and has been full of himself and he really loves training at Belmont,” said trainer Greg Sacco. “His energy level was high. We were happy with everything coming into this race.”

Earlier this season, the 4-year-old produced sub-par performance in sloppy renewals of the GI Carter H. at Belmont and Saratoga’s GI Forego S., and according to Sacco, if Saturday’s stormy forecast comes to fruition, the bay would likely bypass Aqueduct’s feature race.

“It’s unfortunate because he’s training as good as ever and came out of the last race well,” Sacco said. “We were just hoping for a fast track and a little wetness on the track isn’t the end of the world, but if the forecast holds true, it doesn’t look like we’ll be running [Saturday].”

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Breeders’ Cup Runner Dreamer’s Disease Headlines Sunday’s NYSSS Great White Way

After running sixth in last month's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Dreamer's Disease will make his Empire State debut and cut back to seven furlongs as part of Sunday's $250,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Great White Way for eligible state-sired 2-year-olds at Aqueduct Racetrack.

One of three stakes on the finale of the 18-day fall meet at the Big A, the 38th running of the Great White Way will be joined by the $250,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue for juvenile fillies and the $100,000 Garland of Roses for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Owned by Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith, Dreamer's Disease started his career on dirt when eighth in July at Ellis Park. Trainer Robertino Diodoro moved the Kentucky-bred Laoban colt to turf for his next two starts, resulting in his second-out win on Aug. 8 at Ellis before running off the board in his stakes bow in the More Than Ready Juvenile on Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs.

After posting a 4 1/2-length sore in his return to the main track on Oct. 3 at Keeneland, Dreamer's Disease stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the most challenging race of his career in the Breeders' Cup. Serving as the pacesetter in leading the talented field of 14 through the opening three ports of call, Dreamer's Disease tired in the stretch but still earned a personal-high 80 Beyer Speed Figure for his sixth-place effort in a contest won by Essential Quality.

“He's training well and bounced out of the race really good,” Diodoro said. “We were going to give him a break but with this race here, and how he came out of it, we figured to give it a shot. The distance sets up well, especially coming off a mile and a couple of ticks, I think it's going to suit him quite well.”

Dreamer's Disease shipped from his base in Kentucky to New York on Wednesday.

“He flew up well and went out to the track just a little while ago, so I think it's all-systems-go right now,” Diordoro said.

Diordoro said his charge has improved physically since starting his career this summer and has given the connections positive signs after posting victories on both turf and dirt.

“He's versatile and long-term I think that's going to come in quite handy,” he said. “He's filled out more and that's helped him a lot, and mentally, he's matured. He's a little bit of a high-strung horse, but he's starting to mature over the last couple months.

“When the dust settles, I think he is a dirt horse,” he added. “Time will tell in his career, but anytime you have a horse that's versatile that can run on both surfaces, it definitely helps.”

Jockey Dylan Davis will pick up the mount from post 7.

Mathis Stable's Uno was an impressive 3 ¾-length winner in his debut on Nov. 12 over a muddy and sealed Aqueduct track. Like Dreamer's Disease, Uno is also by Laoban, and the Todd Pletcher trainee registered a 76 Beyer for his win.

A $255,000 purchase at this year's Ocala Breeders' Sale, Uno was bred in New York by Spruce Lane, Built Wright, Lynn Farm, Will Robbins and Copper Beach et al. Jose Ortiz, aboard for the victory, will have the return call from post 11.

Stakes-winner Hold the Salsa won the Bertram F. Bongard against fellow New York breds going the Great White Way distance on October 2 at Belmont Park. Stretched out to a mile on Big Sandy on Oct. 24, the Hold Me Back colt ran fourth in the Sleepy Hollow for owner and trainer Richard Lugovich.

Making his first appearance at the Big A, Hold the Salsa, who won his debut on July 12 at Belmont, will depart from post 8 with Junior Alvarado aboard.

Horn of Plenty will have the services of Kendrick Carmouche, who entered Thursday's live racing action as the meet's leading jockey as he looks to secure his first New York riding title. Trained by Mike Maker, the Emcee gelding won his first start on October 18 at Belmont before running fourth in the six-furlong Notebook over an Aqueduct main track rated good on Nov. 14. Horn of Plenty drew post 9.

Windy Nations, a first-out winner in August at Monmouth Park in a maiden-claiming sprint, will be making his first start since a runner-up effort against claiming company on Nov. 12 at Churchill Downs for trainer Mike Maker [post 12, Manny Franco].

Rounding out the field is The King Cheek, who broke his maiden at third asking on Nov. 9 at Parx for conditioner Jamie Ness [post 4, Luis Rodriguez Castro]; It's Gravy, looking for his first win after two runner-ups and third-place effort in three starts for trainer Kelly Breen [post 2, Joel Rosario]; New York One, who has won two of his last three starts for trainer James Chapman [post 3, Ferrin Peterson]; Market Alert, third in the Notebook on November 14 for trainer James Ryerson [post 6, Jose Lezcano]; Prospect Mountain, a first-out winner on November 15 at Aqueduct for trainer James Ferraro [post 1, Benjamin Hernandez]; Jacoba, who will be making his first U.S. start after three races at Woodbine for trainer Jeremiah Englehart [post 10, Jorge Vargas, Jr.]; and Jacks American Pie, stepping up to stakes company after four maiden special weight appearances for trainer Karl Grusmark [post 5, Charlie Marquez].

The Great White Way is slated as Race 8 on Aqueduct's nine-race program, which offers a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

The post Breeders’ Cup Runner Dreamer’s Disease Headlines Sunday’s NYSSS Great White Way appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Laobanonaprayer Cuts Back In Distance For Sunday’s NYSSS Fifth Avenue

Laobanonaprayer, owned and trained by Daniel Velazquez, headlines Sunday's $250,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juvenile fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Fifth Avenue is one of three stakes on Closing Day of the Big A fall meet, which also features the $250,000 NYSSS Great White Way at seven furlongs for eligible New York-sired juveniles and the $100,000 Garland of Roses at six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Laobanonaprayer, a Laoban bay bred in the Empire State by Christina Deronda, was purchased for $15,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. She made her first two starts at Delaware Park, finishing third on debut in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint in September and a good second to Celestial Cheetah when stretched out to one mile on Oct. 5.

Velazquez added blinkers and the services of rider Kendrick Carmouche for Laobanonaprayer's stakes debut in the one-mile Maid of the Mist for state-breds on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park and the filly responded with a 5 1/2-length romp that garnered a field-best 68 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She put me in a perfect spot and she was travelling easy,” said Carmouche. “She finished up really well. I think the cutback in distance will be even better for her. He told me she's been training really well. We'll just break and sit and watch it develop.”

The victory marked the first stakes score for Velazquez, who then doubled his stakes totals in the very next race when Brooklyn Strong – who is entered in Saturday's Grade 2 Remsen at the Big A – captured the Sleepy Hollow.

Carmouche leads all riders at the Big A fall meet with 16 wins and purse earnings of $968,619 heading into Thursday's card, boasting a 62 percent in-the-money record in tandem with Velazquez [27-4-7-6].

Laobanonaprayer, who Velazquez said is training without blinkers but will race with them on Sunday, has posted a pair of bullet works out of the Maid of the Mist score, including a five-eighths effort in 1:00.60 on Saturday on the Delaware Park dirt.

Carmouche will guide Laobanonaprayer from post 11 and he said he hopes to double up in stakes company for his good friend Velazquez.

“He's my little brother and I'm always rooting for him,” said Carmouche. “I won the stakes for him the other day and we'll try again on Sunday. You have to be in it to win it.”

Trainer Wayne Potts will saddle a pair of contenders for their dirt debuts in Dennis L. Deeb, Mary Lentini and Eric Miller's Athena Dancer and Domenic Dilalla's Ms Wicked.

Athena Dancer, a dark bay daughter of War Dancer out of the multiple stakes-winning Catienus mare Talking Treasure, earned a 62 Beyer when breaking her maiden at second asking on Nov. 20 on the Big A turf.

Potts has trained Athena Dancer, a $21,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, extensively over the Monmouth Park dirt and said the filly should handle the surface switch.

“I think Athena will be able to dirt and turf. She's a quiet, laid-back filly and does whatever you need her to do,” said Potts. “I was working her for several dirt efforts at Monmouth and I was never able to get a chance to run her on the dirt. She trains really good on the dirt. I was never able to breeze her on the grass but I thought she would grass and she did. She's doing very well.”

Bred in Ontario by Janeane Everatt, James Everatt and Arika Everatt-Meeuse, Ms Wicked made her first four starts at Woodbine Racetrack for trainer Cole Bennett, culminating in a last-to-first charge to win an open 1 1/16-mile maiden-claiming tilt on the Tapeta on Nov. 8.

The dark bay daughter of War Dancer is stakes-placed having completed the trifecta in the 6 1/2-furlong Muskoka, a sales stakes Tapeta sprint for juvenile fillies foaled in Canada.

She joined the Potts barn 10 days ago and worked a half-mile in company Sunday on the Belmont dirt training track in 51.24 seconds.

“I worked her behind a horse and she took the dirt very well,” said Potts. “She went an easy half-mile and the gallop out was very good. The whole question will be can she take all that dirt in her face, because she'll be coming from way back.”

Potts said a possible wet track wouldn't hinder the chances of either filly.

“If we get a wet surface, I don't think it will bother either one of those fillies,” said Potts. “They'll both have to step it up a little bit, but they're both worth giving a shot in this race.”

Dylan Davis has the call on Ms Wicked from post 6, while Jose Ortiz will guide Athena Dancer from post 9.

Cobra Farm and R R Partners' Gray Destiny, by Mission Impazible and out of the More Than Ready mare Happy Retreat, earned a 62 Beyer in her winning debut when 4 3/4-lengths the better of next-out winner Cara's Dreamer in a 1 1/16-mile off-the-turf state-bred maiden special weight on Oct. 30 at Belmont.

Trained by Christophe Clement, who leads all trainers at the Big A fall meet with 14 wins heading into Thursday's card, Gray Destiny was purchased for $50,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale.

Bred in the Empire State by Twin Creeks Farm, Gray Destiny has breezed twice since her maiden win including an easy half-mile in 50.54 on Nov. 28 on Big Sandy.

Jose Lezcano retains the mount from the inside post.

Jeremiah Englehart will saddle Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Pazzion and Fortune Farm's Flower's Fortune.

By Mission Impazible and out of the Big Brown mare Brown Eyes Blue, Pazzion rallied to a maiden victory last out on Oct. 26 in an open six-furlong sprint on a sloppy main track at Finger Lakes.

Flower's Fortune, by Effinex, completed the exacta in Pazzion's maiden win and followed with another runner-up effort on Nov. 22 at the Big A in a one-turn mile for state-breds.

Andrew Shivnarine Worrie retains the mount on Pazzion from post 5, while Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. will guide Flower's Fortune from post 12.

DutchessViews Farm's New York homebred Shanes Pretty Lady graduated by 3 3/4-lengths at first asking in a six-furlong state-bred sprint on Sept. 20 at Belmont for former conditioner Gary Gullo.

Last out, in her first start for trainer Todd Pletcher, the dark bay daughter of Bellamy Road trailed throughout in the six-furlong Key Cents for New York-breds on Nov. 15 at the Big A.

Joel Rosario picks up the mount from post 3.

Rounding out the field are maidens Vive La Liberty [post 7, Luis Cardenas], Tangerine Dream [post 2, Charlie Marquez], Jill's a Hot Mess [post 4, John Velazquez], U Should B Dancing [post 10, Junior Alvarado] and Pop the Bubbly [post 8, Manny Franco].

The NYSSS Fifth Avenue is slated as Race 6 on Sunday's 9-race card. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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Equibase Analysis: Performer Appears Ready For Spotlight In Cigar Mile

This Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile Handicap drew a field of nine and will likely be run on a wet racetrack given the weather forecast near Aqueduct.

  • Among the nine, five are millionaires, led by Firenze Fire ($2.2 million), who won the Grade 1 Vosburgh Invitational Stakes in September. However, Firenze Fire has only won once on a wet track in five races and finished 11th and fourth in his last two stakes on the type of surface he's likely to be running over in the Cigar Mile.
  • Another millionaire is Snapper Sinclair ($1.3 million), who moves back to the main track after a pair of in-the-money finishes on turf including a second place in the Tourist Mile this past summer.
  • Mr. Buff is a horse who likes to lead early, resulting in 15 wins in 40 starts and $1.2 million in the bank. He has a liking for off tracks with three wins but nearly all of his 15 career wins have been racked up against New York breds only and he finished fifth in his two tries in graded stakes this year.
  • Mind Control ($1 million) put together three straight graded stakes wins from August 2019 through March of this year including the Grade 3 Tom Fool Stakes at Aqueduct but hasn't threatened to win in five races since then, two of those over sloppy tracks.
  • Similarly, True Timber ($1 million) has now gone winless in 13 races since September of 2018 although he did finish third in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes in August over a sloppy track.
  • Majestic Dunhill won the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap in October and returns on five days rest following a seventh place effort in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap last Sunday.
  • Three-year-old King Guillermo won the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby in March before a second place finish in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in May and makes his return to the races in the Cigar Mile.
  • Bon Raison has won 11 of 44 races but has never won a stakes race.
  • Last but certainly not least is Performer, who has won five races in a row going back to June, 2019, including the Grade 3 Discovery Stakes in November of 2019, before a win in October following 11 months off.

Performer lost the first start of his career in November, 2018 and has not lost a race since. Moving straight through his first two allowance conditions in the summer of 2019, Performer improved to earn 105 and 106 Equibase Speed Figures before a new career-best figure in November of last year when victorious in the Discovery Stakes at Aqueduct. Rested for 11 months, Performer returned as if he had never been away to win a classified allowance race in mid-October with a 109 figure effort. Joel Rosario has been aboard for every race since the debut, all wins, and rides again. With the ground saving rail and the ability to take up a stalking spot from the start behind likely early leader Mr. Buff, and with logical improvement off his comeback effort in October, Performer should be very tough to beat in this year's Cigar Mile Handicap.

King Guillermo proved his 49-1 upset win in the Tampa Bay Derby was no fluke when clearly second in the Arkansas Derby on what would have otherwise been Kentucky Derby day in May. Although regressing a bit to a 101 figure in the Arkansas Derby from the 110 earned in the Tampa Bay Derby, King Guillermo proved he belongs in top company. Rested since May, King Guillermo put in a very strong pair of half-mile drills at his home base in south Florida, the first of the two the best of 59 on the day and the second the best of 38, suggesting he may be able to do what Performer did in his recent comeback off a long layoff, and that is run as if he had never been away at all.

Snapper Sinclair has more second place finishes (six) than wins (five) in his career but he is competitive quite often and may be the one finishing fastest of all in the Cigar Mile. Snapper Sinclair ran well when second in the Essex Mile Handicap in March on a sloppy track with a 107 figure, similarly missing by a head on a muddy track in the Fifth Season Stakes in January with the same figure. This fall, Snapper Sinclair has run even better, earning a 114 figure when second (beaten three-quarters of a length) in the Tourist Mile Stakes. That race was on turf, but having run so well on dirt earlier this year, I think Snapper Sinclair could get a big piece in this race in his current form.

The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is Bon Raison (116), Firenze Fire (111), Mr. Buff (119), Majestic Dunhill (112), Mind Control (113) and True Timber (113).

Win Contenders, in preference order:
Performer
King Guillermo
Snapper Sinclair

Cigar Mile Handicap – Grade 1
Race 10 at Aqueduct
Saturday, Dec. 5 – Post Time 4:13 PM E.T.
One Mile
Three Years Olds and Upward
Purse: $250,000

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