aqueduct | Horse Racing Free Tips

Firenze Fire to Target Cigar Mile

Mr. Amore Stable’s Firenze Fire (Poseidan’s Warrior), a late-closing third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, will make his next start in the Dec. 5 GI Cigar Mile.

“He’s back at Belmont and that’s what we’re pointing for,” trainer Kelly Breen said of the Cigar Mile.

The 5-year-old rallied from 11th to finish third under jockey Jose Lezcano in the Nov. 7 Sprint at Keeneland.

“It was a good race,” Breen said of the veteran’s most recent start.

Breen said Lezcano, aboard for Firenze Fire’s GII Vosburgh Invitational win Sept. 26 at Belmont, will retain the mount for the Cigar Mile.

Others under consideration for the Cigar Mile are: King Guillermo (Uncle Mo), Performer (Speightstown), Mr. Buff (Friend or Foe), and Majestic Dunhill (Majesticperfection).

Woodslane Farm homebred Wolfie’s Dynaghost (Ghostzapper) lived up to the promise he had been showing in the morning with his 33-1 upset debut win at Aqueduct Saturday, according to trainer Tom Albertrani.

“The horse was showing lots of potential and talent working on the dirt,” Albertrani said. “He was doing so well. He ran very impressively. I was expecting a big effort, but I was cautiously optimistic. I had a good feeling about him handling it all.”

Wolfie’s Dynaghost is expected to ship south to Albertrani’s winter base at Palm Meadows Training Center.

“We’re probably going to regroup, ship to Florida and just get a feel for him when he gets down to Florida and see what the next step might be,” Albertrani said. “Hopefully, he’ll be an exciting horse to target some bigger things.”

Wolfie’s Dynaghost’s half-brother Sadler’s Joy (Kitten’s Joy), a Grade I winner on the turf, will make his next start in Saturday’s GIII Red Smith S. at Aqueduct, according to Albertrani.

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Malibu Moon Filly Always in Command at Big A; Earns Rising Stardom

Cheyenne Stables LLC’s Harper’s in Charge (Malibu Moon) ran to advanced billing to post an extremely easy debut victory worthy of the ‘TDN Rising Star’ distinction. Pounded all the way down to 7-5 off an 8-1 morning line, the $220,000 KEESEP yearling zipped out of the gate and was immediately a length in front. She cruised along through splits of 22.83 and :46.84, and continued into the lane in complete command as Manny Franco peeked back for competition. Nobody could run with the leader, and she hit another gear for good measure in midstretch while running up the score to 6 1/2 lengths. Chad Brown/Klaravich firster Commandandcontrol (Quality Road) was second best.

The winner’s unraced dam Azara (More Than Ready) is a half-sister to superstar Tepin (Bernstein) and MGSW Vyjack (Into Mischief). She sold for $875,000 in foal to Into Mischief at KEENOV ’16. The resulting foal, I’ll Fight Dempsey, was a $300,000 yearling and debut winner at Gulfstream in February. Azara produced a Flatter colt earlier this term before being bred back to Into Mischief.

4th-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 11-15, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.55, ft, 6 1/2 lengths.
HARPER’S IN CHARGE, f, 2, Malibu Moon
1st Dam: Azara, by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Life Happened, by Stravinsky
3rd Dam: Round It Off, by Apalachee
$220,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $44,000.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Cheyenne Stables LLC; B-Bridlewood Farm (FL); T-Christophe Clement.

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Not This Time Filly Becomes Newest SW for Fast-Starting Freshman

Vacay dominated in her stakes debut Sunday to become her fast-starting freshman sire (by Giant’s Causeway)’s third black-type winner. A 1 3/4-length first up winner in the Belmont slop Oct. 16, she was backed down to favoritism and soon showed why. The dark bay broke with the pack from her outside five post and settled in second last while always off the fence. Scrubbed on to hold her position into the bend, she mounted a wide bid into a :45.89 half and bounded past rivals over the top en route to a convincing success.

“She’s a nice filly,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. “She looks like she can go a little further. I was trying to hold her position and as soon as we were turning for home, I asked her, and she took off.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher added, “I thought it was a very professional performance on her part. She didn’t break great in her first start, but broke better today. She finished up the way you would want one to. She’s a quality filly and it looks like she’ll handle more distance as well.

“We always liked her quite a bit. She gives me the impression she’s going to improve even more when we stretch her out a little bit.”

Pletcher said Vacay would likely remain in New York for the winter: “That’s the most likely plan. I’ll talk it over with the connections but I would like to take advantage of the New York-bred status.”

The winner has a yearling full-brother. Her dam was bred to Khozan for 2021.

KEY CENTS S., $97,000, Aqueduct, 11-15, (S), 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.69, ft.
1–VACAY, 120, f, 2, by Not This Time
                1st Dam: Florida Sun, by Belgravia
                2nd Dam: Wildcat Widow, by Forest Wildcat
                3rd Dam: Open Window, by Trempolino
($100,000 Ylg ’19 SARAUG). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Repole
Stable & Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-J Stables LLC (NY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $55,000. Lifetime Record:
2-2-0-0, $83,600. *3rd black-type winner for sire (by Giant’s
Causeway).
2–Rossa Veloce, 120, f, 2, Girolamo–Spuntastic, by Hard Spun.
($12,000 Ylg ’19 FTKOCT). O-Blue Streak Racing, LLC &
Raymond Handal; B-John Scott Rogers (NY); T-Raymond
Handal. $20,000.
3–Party At Page’s, 122, f, 2, Gemologist–Auntgrace, by Lion
Heart. ($10,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Gold Star Racing Stable,
Emcee Stable LLC & Brian McKenzie; B-T/C Stable, LLC (NY);
T-Jeremiah C. Englehart. $12,000.
Margins: 5HF, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 1.55, 6.80, 3.25.
Also Ran: Chasing Cara, Shanes Pretty Lady.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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After ‘False Start,’ Eagle Orb Dominates New York-Breds In Notebook

E.V. Racing Stable's Eagle Orb was anxious to get going, leaving the starting gate early in Saturday's $100,000 Notebook. But after the field re-loaded, the son of Orb settled down, tracked the early speed and finished strong for a 2 3/4-length victory in a stakes for New York-bred juveniles going six furlongs over the main track at Aqueduct in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Eagle Orb, who entered with a pair of runner-up efforts in three stakes appearances for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, was one of four entrants to burst through the gate before the official start. It was a case of no-harm, no-foul, as all seven horses were re-loaded for the start, with Eagle Orb breaking sharp from post 4.

Storm Shooter set the early speed for a tightly bunched pack, going the opening quarter-mile in 23.28 seconds over a track labeled good. Under current meet-leading rider Kendrick Carmouche, Blue Gator, the 7-5 favorite, took command with the half-mile going in 47.26 as Storm Shooter retreated to the back of the pack.

Out of the turn, jockey Manny Franco urged Eagle Orb from the outside, where he overtook Blue Gator and drew away, hitting the wire in 1:11.71 while improving to 2-2-0 in five career starts. Bred by Barry Ostrager, Eagle Orb built on runner-up efforts in Funny Cide going 6 1/2 furlongs on Sept. 4 at Saratoga Race Course and a last-out second in the one-turn mile Sleepy Hollow on Oct. 24 at Belmont Park.

“I think he's a better horse sprinting,” Franco said. “Today, he was in a nice stalking position and when I put him in position, he started going very comfortably and started opening up.”

Cutting back in distance, Eagle Orb won for the first time since a triumphant debut on Aug. 21 at the Spa. Off at 6-1, he returned $12.20 on a $2 win bet and improved his career earnings to $153,100.

“I didn't want to get involved in the speed duel early,” Franco said. “I was trying not to take my horse too far off the pace, but I didn't want to be up there. I wanted to wait behind the speed. My horse settled nice for me and when I put him in the clear, he took me there after that.”

Added Franco on the start: “The horse on the outside of us [Horn of Plenty] was kind of moving around and all the horses broke through the door, that's when it happened.”

Rodriguez praised Eagle Orb's consistent start to his career.

“This horse always shows up. I was a little disappointed why we didn't get the last two wins,” Rodriguez said. “He's been close at Saratoga and at Belmont. He was knocking at the door.”

Three Diamonds Farm's Blue Gator, a stakes winner last out in the New York Breeders' Futurity over a sloppy and sealed Finger Lakes track on Oct. 26, finished 6 1/4 lengths ahead of Market Alert for second for trainer Mike Maker.

“I didn't want him to be that close, but those horses weren't fast enough to beat my horse there, so I was just sitting as long as I could,” Carmouche said. “I asked my horse to run around the turn and at the quarter pole he quickened up, but the other horse quickened faster than me. I thought he ran his race.”

Horn of Plenty, Lookin for Trouble, Storm Shooter and Half Right completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes on Sunday at the Big A with a 10-race card highlighted by the $100,000 Winter Memories for 3-year-old fillies in Race 9 at 3:47 p.m. Eastern and the $100,000 Key Cents for New York-bred juvenile fillies going six furlongs in Race 2 at 12:22 p.m. First post is 11:50 a.m.

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