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Grade 2 Winner Brooklyn Strong Returns From Layoff In Friday’s Alex M. Robb

Brooklyn Strong, a New York-bred son of Wicked Strong, returns from a six-month layoff in Friday's nine-furlong $100,000 Alex M. Robb, a nine-furlong test for New York-breds 3-years-old and up.

“The long layoff is a big question, but he's doing really well,” trainer Daniel Velazquez said. “We think he's going to fire, but we just don't know for sure if he'll need a race. We know he can get the distance, it's just a physical thing now.”

Owned by Mark Schwartz, Brooklyn Strong won the one-turn mile Sleepy Hollow in October 2020 at Belmont to secure Velazquez his second career stakes win – just one race after Laobanonprayer provided the conditioner his first stakes score in the Maid of the Mist.

Bred in the Empire State by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan, Brooklyn Strong completed a terrific juvenile campaign in December 2020 with a neck score in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Remsen at the Big A.

Brooklyn Strong left the inside post in the nine-furlong G2 Wood Memorial in April at the Big A, passing tiring horses late to finish fifth ahead of a distant 15th in the G1 Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

He was last seen finishing fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Pegasus on June 13 at Monmouth Park.

“We scoped him after the Pegasus and he bled a little bit. We noticed he dropped a lot of weight and he just wasn't the same horse after the Derby,” Velazquez said. “So, we decided he needed a mental pause and we could bring him back fresh. He gained a lot of weight coming in off the farm in New Jersey and he's doing everything he's supposed to do moving forward. He's matured a lot and I think the pause did him well.”

Brooklyn Strong has trained steadily at Parx dating back to early November, including a six-furlong breeze from the gate in 1:17.03 on Dec. 21.

“We popped him out of the gate and the surface was real deep that day, so the time wasn't the fastest but he did it easily,” Velazquez said.

Velazquez said he is looking forward to seeing his star pupil back in action.

“He's a real important horse for me. He's the horse that put me on the map and took me to the Derby, so he has a lot of sentimental value for me,” Velazquez said. “Moving forward, he's doing really well and doing everything I want him to be doing. He looks great. I just want to see him compete and show that he's back.”

Velazquez said Laobanonaprayer – who is also owned by the conditioner – returned to his care at Parx three weeks ago to prepare for a 2022 campaign.

Bred in New York by Christina Deronda, the 3-year-old daughter of Laoban followed her Maid of the Mist score with an eight-length romp in the 2020 NYSSS Fifth Avenue. Boasting a record of 9-3-2-1 with purse earnings of $301,150, Laobanonaprayer completed her sophomore season with an allowance win against older company on July 24 at Delaware Park.

“She's just back in training. We gave her a little time off after her win at Delaware. She's about two months out,” Velazquez said.

Velazquez will saddle Collin's Grey Lady, a promising 2-year-old daughter of Frosted, in Wednesday's seven-furlong $100,000 Parx Futurity.

Owned by Charles Fiumano, the Kentucky-bred debuted sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs against the boys with a troubled sixth on November 24 at Parx. She followed up two weeks later at the same track to best a field of six juvenile fillies by four-lengths in a one-mile maiden special weight.

“I think she has a good future,” Velazquez said. “We debuted her against the boys – not by design – we just missed the filly race. She got a lot of experience that race. I still think she could have won. She had a terrible trip stuck on the inside – checked, stopped – it was just bad racing luck that day. We ran her back two weeks later going a mile and she won with ease.

“She still has a lot of maturing to do,” Velazquez added. “She has to learn her lead changes, but she's doing really well.”

Listed at 6-1 on the morning line, Collin's Grey Lady will exit post 4 under Abner Adorno.

New York-bred Battle Station is entered in the six-furlong $100,000 Blitzen today at Parx.

Owned by Robert Bone and Edward Brown, the 6-year-old graded stakes placed son of Warrior's Reward boasts a record of 41-8-8-5 with purse earnings of $625,075.

A turf sprint specialist the past two seasons, Battle Station enters from an optional-claiming score over the Laurel Park dirt on November 14.

“I need a barn full like him. He's awesome,” Velazquez said.

Listed at 8-1 on the morning line, Battle Station will emerge from post 13 under Angel Cruz.

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85-Year-Old Bob Dunham Fishing For Another Stakes Score With Byhubbyhellomoney

Trainer Bob Dunham, who turns 85-years-old on Tuesday, will try to keep the celebration rolling when he saddles Jupiter Stable's Byhubbyhellomoney in Thursday's $100,000 Bay Ridge at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Byhubbyhellomoney worked an easy five-eighths over the Belmont Park dirt training track on Dec. 23, in preparation for the nine-furlong test for New York-breds 3-years-old and up.

“I enjoy it. Training horses is a passion. I was there on Christmas Day,” Dunham said.

Earlier this summer, Byhubbyhellomoney won the Fleet Indian at Saratoga Race Course. Dunham said he loves his summers at the Spa which allow him to dabble in his favorite pastime – fly fishing.

“Training horses is like fly fishing – it gets into your blood,” said Dunham, with a laugh. “I love going up to Vermont. It's only 55 miles from Saratoga and you can smell the change in the air, it's so much clearer and so fresh. There's a beautiful river I like there that goes from Manchester all the way down to New York to the Hudson called the Battenkill.”

The veteran conditioner, who trained 4-year-old filly Chou Croute to Champion Sprinter honors in 1972, has met a lot of interesting people through his career, both on and off the track – including broadcaster Charles Osgood and the late actor Steve McQueen.

“I was in the water fishing one morning – maybe seven years ago – at 6:30 in Arlington, Vermont and this guy gets in about 40 minutes later,” Dunham recalled. “As the morning moves along we end up closer together and he hollers at me, 'catch anything?'”

While Dunham had caught a couple, the friendly fisherman upstream had been shut out. When the fishing was done, the two strangers sat down for a cup of coffee and traded tall stories as 'Bob' and 'Charlie.'

“He had on these sunglasses that wrapped around, a Tilley hat and waders,” Dunham said.

Before he left, Dunham asked the man for his surname and he replied, 'Osgood' – as in Charles Osgood, longtime host of the CBS News Sunday Morning and The Osgood File.

“I told him I enjoyed his show on Sunday mornings. He's really a nice guy,” Dunham said. “Later, I invited him to the races at Belmont and he showed up for a nice lunch and we talked about the horses and the radio.”

Dunham also recalled shipping a small string of horses to Santa Anita nearing the tail end of 1972, including Chou Croute, who won the Las Flores Handicap on Dec. 28 and came back Jan. 16, 1973 to win the Grade 2 Santa Monica Handicap.

Dunham said he enjoyed spending time at Santa Anita with the late Willard Proctor, father of conditioner Tom Proctor.

“He was a good friend of mine and he liked to go out for a drink. He knew a lot of actors out there,” Dunham said.

On one occasion, Proctor introduced Dunham to racing fan and acting legend Steve McQueen, who was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor in 1967 for his portrayal of Jake Holman in The Sand Pebbles.

After a few drinks, McQueen asked Dunham if he had any horses entered that he liked.

“I had a filly in that I loved. She'd had a couple races at Fair Grounds,” Dunham said. “We'd sprinted her a couple times and she was a route filly. She was entered going a mile and a sixteenth and I didn't think she could get beat, but I didn't tell Steve McQueen that. I said, 'I think she's got a chance.'”

Sure enough, the filly came through at a price.

“She won and McQueen came up and gave me a hug. I'm not sure how much money he bet,” Dunham said, with a laugh.

McQueen, known as a 'The King of Cool', kept in contact with Dunham through the years.

“He took us out to dinner several times and we exchanged numbers. Every time I had a horse in he called me,” Dunham said.

And while Byhubbyhellomoney, listed at 6-1 on the morning line, may be a little cool on the board Thursday, Dunham said he expects a big effort.

“She'll do good, but I don't know that she'll win,” Dunham said. “But every little bit helps.”

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Sea Foam Will Try To Rebound In Friday’s Alex M. Robb Stakes

Ten Strike Racing, Four Corners Racing Stable, Broadview Stables, and Cory Moelis Racing's Sea Foam will vie for his second stakes win this year in Friday's $100,000 Alex M. Robb, a nine-furlong test for New York-breds 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

A 6-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro, Sea Foam provided conditioner Michelle Giangiulio with her first win as a trainer when he took down the Evan Shipman at Saratoga Race Course first off the claim on Aug. 11. Leading at every point of call, Sea Foam was a dominant five-length winner in a final time of 1:50.91 for the nine furlongs.

Eighth in the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup in his next outing, Sea Foam once again set the pace in the 1½ -mile race, but lost position approaching the turn and faded to the back of the field.

“It was kind of an unfortunate race,” said Giangiulio. “We had a perfect lead and then [eventual winner Magic Michael] moved really early so we had to push him a little sooner than we needed to going a mile and a half. He didn't have enough in the tank going down the stretch and I kind of put a line through that race for him.”

Sea Foam rebounded from the Greenwood Cup with a third-place finish in the Empire Classic at Belmont last time out on Oct. 30, pushed by Mr. Buff to set a hot pace for the nine furlongs before eventual Grade 1 Cigar Mile winner Americanrevolution overtook the lead and bounded away to an open-length victory.

Sea Foam was nosed out of place-honors by longshot Wild Banker, who he will face again in the Alex M. Robb. Giangiulio said she was proud of the dark bay's determination to hit the board.

“They went 45 seconds for the half-mile and he was rocking and rolling on the lead there,” Giangiulio said. “I was surprised he even held on for third. I thought he ran a monster race that day getting pushed on the lead and then kept going. I think he ran harder in that race than in the Evan Shipman. I couldn't have asked for a better run out of him.”

A win with Sea Foam would provide Giangiulio with her fourth victory at Aqueduct this year, her current Big A record standing at 6-3-0-2. In his final prep for the Alex M. Robb, Sea Foam worked five-eighths in 1:02.45 over the dirt training track at Belmont on Friday, showing Giangiulio that he is eager to get back to the races.

“He's doing great and he's ready to run,” Giangiulio said. “He needs to get a run in him at this point. He's very fresh. He's been working five furlongs, nice and easy, nothing crazy. We just let him do his thing. He loves his job and tries his heart out when he runs. He's such a cool horse. He'll be tough to beat on Friday.”

Kendrick Carmouche will pilot Sea Foam from post 4.

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez will have two chances to secure his second Alex M. Robb victory when he sends out stakes winner Tiergan and veteran runner Danny California.

Tiergan enters the Alex M. Robb hoping to continue improving off a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure earned last time out when he steps back up to stakes company for the third time this year.

Co-owned by Rodriguez with Michael Imperio and Andrew Gurdon, Tiergan was last seen finishing third in a one-turn mile optional claimer on November 28 at the Big A. The grey gelding was game in defeat, finishing three-quarter lengths behind the winner and losing place honors by just a head with jockey Raul Mena up.

“He ran a very good race and Raul rode him well,” said Rodriguez. “Raul had to be aggressive with him but we are very pleased with the way he ran. It's why we are taking a chance here in this race.”

Rodriguez said the stretch out in distance will benefit Tiergan, who boasts a record of 4-2-1-0 at nine furlongs.

“The competition is coming up pretty tough, but I think he deserves a chance, especially at a mile and an eighth,” Rodriguez said. “I think that's what he wants to do. He wants a steady pace and I think he's going to be competitive.”

Tiergan's best win to date is an off-the-turf score in the nine-furlong Ashely T. Cole at Belmont in September, battling down to the wire with Three Jokers to win by a head as the biggest price in the field of three. Rodriguez said despite the short field, Tiergan gave a convincing performance.

“It was an encouraging race,” said Rodriguez. “We are always looking for good spots to run as main track only because we don't have many grass horses, so we got lucky and it worked well for us.”

Tiergan has been a consistent member of Rodriguez's barn, finishing off the board just once in his nine starts since he was claimed for $16,000 from Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in January.

“He's a solid horse. He's a little aggressive but he's a beautiful, strong, nice looking horse. If you're not careful, he'll bite you with no regard,” Rodriguez said with a laugh.

Tiergan posted a bullet five-furlong work over Belmont's dirt training track on December 20, breezing in 1:01.80 with Mena up.

“He's been training very well since we claimed him and we're happy to have him around,” Rodriguez said. “Raul has been riding him in the mornings and I think he's a good rider. He's hungry and he tries. He doesn't get many opportunities, but I like the way he's been riding.”

Mena gets the call again from the outermost post 9.

Rodriguez will also send out stakes winning gelding Danny California in search of his second win of the year.

A 6-year-old son of Afleet Alex, Danny California enters the Alex M. Robb as the most seasoned runner in the field of nine with 43 lifetime starts and eight wins. Danny California has a pair of stakes placings and one win from 12 starts this year, his best stakes effort coming in the Commentator when he ran second to runaway winner Bankit in the one-mile test at Belmont in May.

The chestnut gelding was initially trained by Tom Morley for his first 12 starts, dabbling in the claiming ranks before being transferred to the barn of Jorge Abreu for owners West Point Thoroughbreds and Chris Larsen. Claimed by Orlando Noda just five starts later, Danny California began his journey to stakes competition, steadily making progress through allowance conditions for Noda.

With three wins and four on-the-board efforts at the allowance level, Noda decided to give Danny California his first try at stakes company, contesting the Miner's Mark at Belmont last year. With Manny Franco up, Danny California went wire-to-wire to earn his lone stakes victory by 1 3/4 lengths over graded stakes winner You're To Blame.

After off-the-board finishes in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at Keeneland and in last year's running of the Alex M. Robb, Danny California moved back to allowance company and was claimed by Rodriguez for $40,000 out of a fourth-place effort in an optional claimer on April 16.

Now owned by Michael Dubb and Karen Murphy, Danny California has earned one win for his connections, scoring an optional claimer at Saratoga on August 7 with a stalking trip under Luis Saez.

Third next time out in the Evan Shipman at Saratoga behind Sea Foam, Danny California was most recently seen finishing seventh in the same optional claimer as Tiergan on November 28.

“I was considering a non-winners of two allowance but I let the owners decide where to go with him,” Rodriguez said. “I think he'll run well in the stakes. His best distance is a mile and an eighth and they don't have that many races at that distance for older horses. So, I think this is a good race for him.”

Danny California will break from post 2 with Jose Ortiz aboard.

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Eddie F's Racing's Chowda will attempt to close out his 4-year-old campaign with his first victory since taking the Gander at Aqueduct last year for trainer Gary Sciacca.

The New York-bred son of Emcee finished fourth behind his full-brother, Lobsta, in the Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series last time out on December 5, going seven furlongs for the first time since his 2-year-old season.

Ridden by Eric Cancel in the Thunder Rumble, Chowda was held in third after breaking sixth and tracked behind Lobsta through an opening quarter-mile in 23.10 seconds. Racing two paths from the rail down the backstretch, Chowda briefly caught up to Lobsta rounding the turn and kept to the inside before backtracking and staying on well to finish fourth.

Chowda breezed a half-mile in 49.52 over Belmont Park's dirt training track on Friday in his last drill for the Alex M. Robb. The dark bay gelding's best performance this year came in the Genesee Valley Breeders' at Finger Lakes Racetrack where he was beaten just a half-length going 1 1/16 miles.

Cancel will ride again from post 7.

Completing a salty Alex M. Robb field are three-time winner Kaz's Beach [post 1, Trevor McCarthy], Grade 2 Remsen winner Brooklyn Strong [post 3, Abner Adorno], Say Florida Sandy winner Our Last Buck [post 5, Manny Franco], Empire Classic runner-up Wild Banker [post 6, Dylan Davis], and multiple stakes winner Captain Bombastic [post 8, Jose Lezcano].

The Alex M. Robb is named for the Executive Secretary of Thoroughbred Racing in 1946 who served as the General Manager of Belmont Park in 1946 and the Director of the Thoroughbred Breeders Service Bureau in 1962. Slated as Race 7 on Friday's eight race card, post time for the Alex M. Robb will be at 3:36 p.m. Eastern with first post set for 12:50 p.m.

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.

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Effinex Filly Byhubbyhellomoney Stretches Out In Thursday’s Bay Ridge Stakes

Jupiter Stable's Byhubbyhellomoney will look to provide trainer Bob Dunham a belated birthday gift in Thursday's seventh renewal of the $100,000 Bay Ridge, a nine-furlong test for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Dunham, who celebrates his 85th birthday on Tuesday, said the sophomore daughter of Effinex has trained well out of her distant runner-up effort to Bank Sting in the seven-furlong NYSSS Staten Island on Dec. 5 at the Big A.

“I was a little disappointed with that race. I didn't like the way she finished up,” Dunham said. “She came out of it fine. She ate well and was training well, but I thought she had a chance. I wasn't sure she could beat that filly, but I thought she'd be closer.

“She's done well since,” Dunham added, regarding an easy breeze in 1:03.11 December 23 over the Belmont dirt training track. “I haven't gone fast with her because she's fit. She went five-eighths in 1:03 over a slow track. She trains well.”

Byhubbyhellomoney was claimed for $40,000 out of a second-out graduation in June sprinting six furlongs over turf against fellow state-breds at Belmont Park.

She made her next three starts in restricted company at Saratoga Race Course, finishing a close third in an off-the-turf allowance sprint against older horses in July ahead of completing the trifecta in the NYSSS Statue of Liberty for sophomore fillies on Aug. 4 at one mile over the inner turf.

“I actually think she's better on turf. The day she broke her maiden on the turf, she was so impressive,” Dunham said. “She just ran good on the dirt so we kept her on the dirt, but I want to try her again on turf this coming year.”

Dunham entered Byhubbyhellomoney in the Fleet Indian, a nine-furlong route against fellow state-bred sophomore fillies over the Spa main track on Aug. 27, and the $30,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase responded with a rallying neck score over multiple graded stakes placed Make Mischief.

Dunham said pedigree may have played a part in the Fleet Indian effort as her sire, the $3.3 million earner Effinex, excelled at a route of ground.

“I was a little surprised but she is bred to go a route by Effinex. I thought she had a chance and she was training better at Saratoga than she was anywhere,” Dunham said. “She was really sharp at Saratoga. That's the only difference I see in her now is she used to play a lot coming off the track at Saratoga, but she's settled down.”

The versatile Byhubbyhellomoney returned to sprinting in October over Big Sandy, closing to finish second in a six-furlong state-bred optional claiming event and three weeks later was off-the-board at the same venue against the victorious Sharp Starr in the 1 1/16-mile Empire Distaff for state-bred sophomore fillies which was contested over a sloppy and sealed main track.

Dunham said he is hopeful for a big effort from Byhubbyhellomoney in her final start before a freshening.

“I'm running a sound horse. She'll run well but I don't know if she'll win,” Dunham said. “I think we'll give her a break after this and plan for the races in the spring.”

Bred in the Empire State by Anderson Boulton Thoroughbreds, the New York-sired bay out of the El Prado mare Shocking Behavior will exit the inside post under Eric Cancel.

Sharp Starr, a 4-year-old daughter of Munnings, will look to make amends after a distant fourth last out when attempting to defend her title in in the one-mile G3 Go for Wand Handicap on December 4 at the Big A.

Trained by Horacio DePaz, the Barry Schwartz homebred boasts a record of 15-4-3-3 and will be attempting her first win at the nine-furlong distance in her fourth attempt. She has breezed twice out of her Go for Wand effort, including an easy half-mile in 51.55 seconds on Dec. 24 over the Belmont dirt training track.

“She's doing really well. She came out of the race in good order. Her appetite has been good and her breezes have been good,” DePaz said. “We had an easier breeze the other day a week out from the Bay Ridge. We don't want to put a lot of speed into her. She's fit and ready to go.”

Sharp Starr entered the Go for Wand from a visually impressive 3 1/4-length last-to-first score in the Empire Distaff at Belmont over returning rival Ice Princess.

DePaz, who had also considered entering Sharp Starr in the seven-furlong La Verdad slated for Sunday at the Big A, said the filly showed determination at nine furlongs last year at Saratoga when second in a state-bred allowance ahead of a third in the Fleet Indian.

“I thought seven furlongs would be too short for her and this race is a smaller field,” DePaz said. “She ran well going a mile and a sixteenth at Belmont coming from off the pace and in her two races at Saratoga going nine furlongs she was always closing and finishing up well.”

Sharp Starr has demonstrated an affinity for Aqueduct with a record of 7-2-2-2, including a romping 15 3/4-length state-bred allowance win in November 2020 that registered a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

Jose Ortiz, aboard for three of Sharp Starr's four career wins, retains the mount from post 3.

“He knows the filly and rode her going long at Saratoga. He's very familiar with her,” DePaz said.

DePaz will also saddle Amity Island, a sophomore daughter of Brody's Cause owned by Michael Dubb, Take a Shot Stables and Liberty House Racing.

Amity Island was claimed for $40,000 out of a runner-up effort in an open one-turn mile on Oct. 2 at Belmont. Following an even fourth in November in a state-bred one-turn mile over Big Sandy, Amity Island returned Dec. 10 at the Big A with blinkers on for the first time to post a head score at the same level with a last-to-first effort.

“She stepped up. Thar race came back to her last time, but she put a good effort in. I was really happy with how she adjusted to blinkers,” DePaz said. “Hopefully, second time out with the blinkers she'll be much more focused. It's a good spot for her and her running style suits the distance.”

Out of the A. P Jet mare Anjorie, Amity Island is a half-sister to stakes winner Fierce Lady. Initially campaigned by Chad Brown, she was claimed for $25,000 out of a third-out graduation traveling a one-turn mile over a muddy main track at the Big A.

DePaz said he is hopeful Amity Island will continue to improve with racing.

“She's a very honest filly and very competitive in the races she ran before we claimed her,” DePaz said. “We were looking at the winter meet when we claimed her and hoping she could come up and get into allowance company and improve as she matures.”

Bred by Sugar Maple Farm, Amity Island will emerge from post 4 under Manny Franco.

Ice Princess, trained and co-owned by Danny Gargan with Flying P Stable and R. A. Hill Stable, will look to turn the tables on Sharp Starr when stretching back out to two turns.

The 4-year-old graded stakes placed Palace Malice grey entered the Empire Distaff from a trio of nine-furlong efforts, including an open allowance win in August over a sloppy and sealed surface at the Spa and a closing second in the John Hettinger against fellow state-breds over the Belmont turf on Oct. 1.

Bred in New York by Mina Equivest, Ice Princess sports a perfect in-the-money record of 5-2-3-0 at the Big A, including a win in the one-mile Maddie May in February 2020 and a runner-up effort in the nine-furlong G3 Comely in November 2020.

Jose Lezcano will pilot Ice Princess for the first time from the outermost post 5.

Rounding out the field is stakes winner Maiden Beauty, who enters from a gate-to-wire optional claiming win against open company on Dec. 19 at the Big A. Trained by Robert Falcone, Jr., Maiden Beauty will exit post 2 under three-time Bay Ridge winner Kendrick Carmouche.

The Bay Ridge is slated as Race 7 on Thursday's eight-race card, which will also offers a $49K carryover in the $1 Pick 6 which begins in Race 3. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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