Saturday Insights: Full Siblings to Vasilika, Point of Honor Debut

5th-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 2:50p.m. ET
After hitting an eye-catching $735,000 at Keeneland September two years ago, and still missing his reserve, Mystic Quest (Curlin) will go to post here for his breeders Siena Farm in partnership with Cash Asmussen. At the helm for the full brother to MGISP & GSW Point of Honor and half to GI Frizette S. winner Wicked Whisper (Liam's Map) as well as two other stakes winners, Todd Pletcher sends out a colt carrying big expectations against a field of eight others from the far outside. This is the family of 10 other graded stakes horses including millionaire Mr Freeze (To Honor and Serve). TJCIS PPs

12th-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, 1mT, 5:43p.m. ET
With success running thick in the family, Klaravich Stables' $300,000 KEESEP procurement Growth Capital (War Front) will try to beat home a well-bred field of maidens in the night cap at Hallendale. His dam Room Service is half to $1.9 million KEENOV purchase Oscar Party (Dixie Union) and GSW Major Gain (More Than Ready). To Growth Capital's outside is stablemate in the Chad Brown barn, Thistle (Arrogate), who is the first foal of racing age for GSW High Ridge Road (Quality Road). The full-brother to MGISW Vasilika (Skipshot), Chasing the Crown, breaks from the outside of the field which also comprises of Father Red (Quality Road) who is half to GSW Arrest Me Red (Pioneerof the Nile) and Calumet homebred Double Clutch (Optimizer), whose dam claims GSW & MGSP Gear Jockey (Twirling Candy). TJCIS PPs

8th-OP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 4:45p.m. ET
Rigney Racing sends out their flashy $450,000 FTKSEL graduate Ludwig (Mastery) to hopefully make some beautiful noise in this maiden race. His dam's first to the races, the female family includes GSW & MGSP Gemswick Park (Speightstown) and the dam of G1SW Poet's Voice (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). TJCIS PPs

10th-OP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 5:49p.m. ET
Lundberg (Uncle Mo) is a $400,000 KEESEP graduate under the tutelage of Brad Cox, who sends out the colt for the partnership of Albaugh Family Stables and Donegal Racing. Dam Runway Ready (Mr. Greeley) is a half to GSW New York Central (Tapit) and GII Saratoga Special S. winner Corfu (Malibu Moon). This is the family of MGISW Peace Rules (Jules). Also in the field is $375,000 OBSMAR (:9 4/5) purchase Plausible Denile (Pioneerof the Nile), half-brother to three stakes horses including MGSW Lucy N Ethel (During). Trainer James Divito will send the grey to post after purchasing him as agent for owners Doubledown Stables. TJCIS PPs

6th-SA, $67k, Msw, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 6:05p.m. ET
By far the priciest of the notable debuters on Saturday, Ganadora (Quality Road) will carry the silks of Baoma Corporation to post as a $1 million score from the Keeneland September sale. Out of GSP Beloveda (Ghostzapper), who began her racing career in Poland before being imported to the States and recently changed hands for $510,000 at FTKFEB going to Gainesway, the filly is a half-sister to SP Mistress of Love (Scat Daddy) and two other winners including full-sister Hana Road. Through the second dam Mysterious Angel (Saint Ballado) there are at least 13 black-type earning runners. Bob Baffert sends Ganadora to the gates. TJCIS PPs

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Arrest Me Red Goes Gate To Wire In Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship

Lael Stable's homebred Arrest Me Red made every pole a winning one, staving off an inside rally from Pulsate to prevail in Saturday's $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Arrest Me Red was scratched out of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on November 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., which was won by his stablemate Golden Pal. Re-routed to the Big A, the sophomore son of Pioneerof the Nile turned back older company with a game display in the six-furlong outer turf test.

“He did great. He ran very, very professional,” Ward said. “I just feel bad that he had a minor foot issue, otherwise he would have had a good run in the Breeders' Cup.”

Arrest Me Red, with Paco Lopez up, marked off splits of :22.69 and :45.60 over the firm going with defending race winner Turned Aside tracking in second and Backtohisroots pressing three-wide in third.

Pulsate, with Manny Franco up, settled into fourth position as Arrest Me Red took the field to the turn with Backtohisroots advancing with purpose. Arrest Me Red opened up a one-length lead at the stretch call and kicked for home with a ground-saving Pulsate trying to surge up the rail.

Lopez kept to task aboard Arrest Me Red and the talented bay held on for a neck win in a final time of 1:09.43. Pulsate completed the exacta by 1 3/4 lengths over the late-running Chewing Gum.

Lopez, aboard Arrest Me Red for the first time, said he was impressed by the colt's winning efforts in the Mahony in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and the G3 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., last out on October 2.

“I saw his last couple races and knew he was fast,” Lopez said. “There wasn't much speed today. I broke and put my horse in the race and waited for competition. I saw the horse coming to the inside [Pulsate] and I put a little pressure. That horse is a very good horse. Wesley knows what he is doing.”

Franco said Pulsate, who he guided to victory in the Lucky Coin in September at the Spa, was timid when asked to pass along the hedge.

“I had the room to go through, but my horse just hesitated a little bit,” Franco said. “He was coming the last sixteenth of a mile. When I rode him to the wire, he responded to me. He just got a little bit tired. He ran well though.”

Backtohisroots, Value Proposition, Big Package, Maxwell Esquire, Omaha City, and Turned Aside completed the order of finish. Grateful Bred, who broke through the gate ahead of the race, was scratched.

Bred in Kentucky by his owners, Arrest Me Red banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to five wins from seven starts. He paid $6.50 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a 10-race card featuring the $150,000 Autumn Days in Race 7, the $200,000 G3 Fall Highweight in Race 8, and the $100,000 Tepin in Race 9. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall 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 fall 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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Scratched From Breeders’ Cup With Foot Abscess, Arrest Me Red Returns In Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship

Trainer Wesley Ward said Lael Stables' Arrest Me Red will make his next start in the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up on Nov. 27 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Arrest Me Red was scratched out of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, which was won by the Ward-trained Golden Pal. Arrest Me Red breezed a half-mile in :48 flat Wednesday over the Keeneland main track.

“He had a little foot abscess issue we were dealing with out in California, so we erred on the side of caution and scratched him,” Ward said. “We brought him back and he's had a great work here at Keenland, so he should be ready to go.”

The Pioneerof the Nile sophomore joined Ward's stable for his 3-year-old campaign, winning the Mahony in August at 5 1/2-furlongs over firm footing at Saratoga Race Course. The talented bay followed with a gate-to-wire score in the six-furlong Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational over firm going on October 2 at Belmont Park.

Ward said Arrest Me Red had initially been under consideration for the Grade 2 Woodford at Keeneland before setting course for Belmont.

“He came back [from the Mahony] and had some nice works and we were going to go in the Woodford with him, but there was no sense in going against my other horse, Golden Pal, so we looked for another option and he ran and won nice,” Ward said.

Arrest Me Red made four starts in a juvenile campaign for his former conditioner Arnaud Delacour, posting a first-out maiden win at Laurel Park in August 2020 and a two-length score in the six-furlong Atlantic Beach last November over the Big A turf.

CJ Thoroughbreds' Miss Alacrity, a chestnut daughter of Munnings, will return to the main track in Sunday's $100,000 Key Cents, a six-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies at Aqueduct.

Out of the multiple graded-stakes winning Menifee mare Just Jenda, Miss Alacrity launched her career with a 10-length maiden win sprinting five furlongs over Big Sandy in May. She followed with an impressive score in the Colleen, a five-furlong turf test in August at Monmouth Park.

Last out, Miss Alacrity stumbled at the start of the Speakeasy, a five-furlong turf test on Oct. 1 at Santa Anita, and settled for fourth.

“I think she was soundly beaten. We went out there with her winning that race at Monmouth and we wanted to see where she was at. There were no excuses, she just got beat,” Ward said. “It was a credible race. She ran well but she just got beat by better horses on the day.”

Miss Alacrity will remove blinkers while retaining the services of Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez from the inside post in a loaded field that includes the well-regarded Classy Edition for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and the speedy Makin My Move for conditioner John Kimmel.

“This time of year, I generally take the blinkers off of everything with 2-year-olds. It keeps them focused at the beginning of the year and now that they're older and more seasoned, I like to take the blinkers off to go a little further,” Ward said. “She should be more aware of her surroundings and a little more relaxed in the race with the blinkers off.”

Lyrical Poet, a 4-year-old Kitten's Joy gelding owned, bred and trained by Ward, posted a claiming score traveling 5 1/2-furlongs over the Saratoga turf in July.

He is out of the speedy Bring the Heat mare One Hot Wish, who won a pair of sprints for Ward led by an 8 ½-length allowance romp at Gulfstream Park in 2008 that garnered a 91 Beyer.

Lyrical Poet was last seen finishing second in September in a Kentucky Downs turf allowance sprint won by Rustler, who exited that effort to win the Carle Place in October at Belmont.

Lyrical Poet breezed five-furlongs in 1:00.80 on Nov. 16 over the Keeneland main track in preparation for Race 2 on Saturday at the Big A, a six-furlong starter allowance on the turf for 3-year-olds and up.

“He's training good. I've taken my time with him. Kitten's Joys take a little time to get going and he was a late foal,” Ward said. “I own him so I can afford the time I think they need and he's rewarding that patience now. His dam was very fast.”

Listed at 3-1 on the morning line, Lyrical Poet will exit post 7 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

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Express Train Scratched from Classic, BC Friday Wrap

Express Train (Union Rags), slated to contest Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, was scratched the morning of the race because of swelling in his hind right hock.

“He was schooling in the paddock three days ago and he got a little playful, jumping around and kicked himself,” trainer John Shirreffs said. “He'll be fine with a little more time and we plan on running him next year.”

Also withdrawn Saturday morning, Lael Stable's Arrest Me Red (Pioneerof the Nile) was forced to miss Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

“We had a little foot issue and changed the horse's shoes,” trainer Wesley Ward said. “It kept getting better, but we erred on the side of caution.”

“She was perfect [Saturday] morning,” he confirmed. “She jogged up perfect and is with [GII Juvenile Turf Sprint] third-place finisher Kaufymaker and fifth-place finisher and post-time favorite Averly Jane] on a plane [to Keeneland].”

L and N Racing LLC and Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), runaway winner of Friday's GI NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, will get some time off before returning for a 3-year-old campaign, according to trainer Steve Asmussen.

“She needs a bit of a break now. So that she can fill in, she needs to grow,” he said. “She's not a big filly in stature, but as a Gun Runner, he was extremely talented, but he [later] developed into the best in the world.”

Earlier this season, the TDN Rising Star won the GI Spinaway S. and GI Frizette S. prior to her latest score.

Reflecting on Friday's victory, he added, “I think it's as simple as she's faster than they are. And, I think that's what she's been all year. She continues to be just extremely satisfying. When you look at a four-race year, three Grade Is and the style in which she's done it. All of her races are fast, her numbers are good. And, against the best company, that's as good as it gets. You catch the [GI] Alcibiades winner [JuJu's Map] and the [GIII] Pocahontas winner [Hidden Connection]. They made it here. And, she was better on the day. We're very proud of that.”

According to trainer Bob Baffert, Speedway Stables' Corniche (Quality Road) is also done for the season following his win in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

“He won't race again this year,” the Hall of Famer confirmed. “We don't have any specific plans for him.”

Baffert was also responsible for Juvenile contestants Pinehurst (Twirling Candy, 5th) and Barossa (Into Mischief, 9th).

“All my horses came out of the race well,” Baffert said. “I thought his [Corniche's] race was very impressive. He's a really, really fast horse and this performance shows what a brilliant horse he is.”

Bobby Flay's Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was already heading back East following her win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Friday. The Flay homebred gave her trainer, Christophe Clement, his first win in a Breeders' Cup race.

“She ran very well and got a great ride,” said Clement. “She's a good filly. For me the biggest accomplishment of the whole deal–of course it's great to win the Breeders Cup–is that her owner/breeder Bobby Flay chose us with a filly that is very well bred and we were able to do this. It is very meaningful for me.”

Looking ahead, Clement added that New York's turf triple crown is a likely for next season.

“That would be the goal of the moment, but we have time to think about it,” he said.

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