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Glass Ceiling Gets First Stakes Win In Garland Of Roses At Aqueduct

Glass Ceiling came home 2 ¼ lengths clear of Call On Mischief to take the $100,000 Garland of Roses at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., on Saturday, giving trainer and co-owner Charlton Baker back-to-back victories in the stakes. A six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, the Garland of Roses was the first stakes win of Glass Ceiling's career.

The 8-5 post-time favorite in the field of seven, Glass Ceiling broke from post position 6 with Dylan Davis up and settled at the back of the pack, racing three-wide as Sadie Lady led the field through an opening quarter-mile in :22.27 over the sloppy and sealed main track. Inching a bit closer at the half-mile pole, Glass Ceiling was swung to the outside and came under a ride from Davis rounding the turn to try and catch Sadie Lady.

Driving down the lane to the finish, Davis kept busy on the daughter of Constitution, rousing her to find more at the end and overtake the lead at the furlong pole. Glass Ceiling drew away from runner-up Call On Mischief at the sixteenth-pole and stopped the clock in a final time of 1:11.19.

Davis said the track condition led him to choose an outside path for the filly.

“The kickback was really bothering her,” said Davis. “I just tried to get on heels behind the four [Just Read It] and the three [Letmetakethiscall] and save some ground, but she just wasn't handling it. I just opted to come outside. She's way better than what she was doing down the backside and I was able to get her in the clear. I had to sacrifice some ground for her to have some clean air and once she came out, she came with a full run.”

Davis guided Glass Ceiling to an allowance score in September ahead of a runner-up effort to Lady Rocket last out in a division of the Pumpkin Pie in October, both at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

“She's nice to ride and she does everything well,” Davis said. “Charlie does a good job with her and I think we're going to have a good time this winter.”

Baker echoed Davis' sentiments about the off-track.

“She didn't handle the kickback very well,” Baker said. “Once she turned for home and got clear, it seemed like she was doing it well. She's a nice filly and she tries all the time. She's getting there. She's definitely on the improve. Hopefully, she has more in the tank to go forward. That's what we're gambling on.”

Runner-up in the faster division of the seven-furlong Pumpkin Pie in her prior start, Baker said the cutback in distance did not benefit Glass Ceiling.

“Seven-eighths might be a little more her distance, but I think she's sharp enough where she's comfortable with six furlongs,” Baker said.

Call On Mischief, who exited the inside post under Jose Lezcano, saved ground in fourth and raced along the rail up the backstretch and into the turn before being swung to the center of the racetrack. Under a strong ride, she made her bid for Glass Ceiling but could not match her foe and settled for second.

“She ran a huge race,” Lezcano said. “The winner has just been running so well lately. My filly gave me her race, she did nothing wrong.”

The New York-bred Letmetakethiscall finished third, 2 ½ lengths the better of fellow state-bred Sadie Lady, who tired and held on to fourth over Song River by a nose to round out the superfecta.

Starfront and Just Read It completed the order of finish.

Now with a stakes victory to her credit, Baker says a start in the $100,000 Interborough on January 15 at Aqueduct may be on the table for Glass Ceiling.

“I think we're going to go until February and then give her a break until the spring and then get her back,” Baker said. “That's my plan right now. I'm looking at the [Interborough] and then maybe Maryland in February.”

Glass Ceiling banked $55,000 for her Garland of Roses victory, increasing her total purse winnings to $332,612 and improving her record to 5-6-4 from 23 starts. A $2 win wager on Glass Ceiling returned $5.30.

Glass Ceiling's victory was the third Garland of Roses win for Baker, who took down last year's running with Honor Way and the 2014 edition with Expression.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race card to wrap up week one of the winter meet at the Big A. 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.

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Just Read It Looks For Second Stakes Win Saturday In Garland Of Roses

Just Read It, trained and co-owned by Ray Handal with Ken Russell and Brown Road Racing, will look to secure her second stakes win at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., in Saturday's $100,000 Garland of Roses, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

A second-out maiden winner at the Big A in January, the sophomore daughter of Constitution captured the six-furlong Cicada here on March 20. She returned from a nearly eight-month layoff on November 3 to finish a closing third in a six-furlong optional-claiming sprint at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

“It was a good effort,” Handal said. “She's matured from what I've seen in the morning. She's gotten bigger and she's mentally more put together. I expect her to run an improved race. We know she likes Aqueduct, so that always helps.”

Out of the Broken Vow mare Mybrokenhome, the Kentucky-bred was purchased for $70,000 at the OBS July 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Fromanothamutha, owned by Handal in partnership with Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Craig Taylor, and Peter Rinato, faded to seventh after setting the pace in Saturday's nine-furlong Grade 2 Remsen won by Mo Donegal at the Big A.

The Unified juvenile, a $120,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, entered the Remsen from a prominent second to Mo Donegal in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on October 21 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Handal said Fromanothamutha earned his way into the Remsen.

“He looked like he was doing it pretty comfortably, I'd just chalk it up to him not liking the distance,” Handal said. “He was a maiden running in a Grade 2 but he was beaten a length to Mo Donegal going into it and Mo Donegal won the race, so I feel justified taking the shot in there.”

Handal said Fromanothamutha will look to clear the maiden condition before possibly taking a shot at the $300,000 G3 Gotham, a one-turn mile on March 5 at the Big A.

“He's a lovely colt and I think we'll just take him back to one-turn races,” Handal said. “I think I'll give him a two-week break and freshen him up and try and knock the maiden out and then look at something down the line like the Gotham.”

Merrylegs Farm's Thinking It Over, a 2-year-old daughter of Overanalyze bred in the Empire State by Merrylegs Farm North, garnered a 62 Beyer for a debut maiden score sprinting six furlongs in an off-the-turf state-bred maiden sprint on November 12 at Aqueduct.

“She was MTO that day and I thought it would take a really good New York-bred to beat her first time out,” Handal said. “When we got in off that spot, I thought she was going to be double tough.”

Handal said he would like to eventually target a state-bred stakes with Thinking It Over with the first opportunity being the Franklin Square, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies on January 15.

“We'll look towards the New York-bred stakes program through the winter with her, but I'd like to get her in a '1X' first,” Handal said.

Ken Russell and Richard Newman Racing's Foolish Ghost, a 6-year-old New York-bred son of Mineshaft, has posted a record of 37-9-7-5 for purse earnings of $462,122.

Handal said he's considering a number of options for the speedy gelding, who captured the 6 1/2-furlong John Morrissey in July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“We'll look towards an allowance race and get some confidence. He loves this track,” said Handal.

Foolish Ghost, who finished fourth last out in the Hudson on October 30 at Belmont, sports a record of 10-1-4-1 at the Big A.

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Americanrevolution Beats Following Sea To Wire In Cigar Mile

On a day that had its share of inquiries, Americanrevolution survived an inquiry to take the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y. Contact between the winner and Plainsman led to the inquiry, with stewards ultimately deciding to leave the order of finish intact, the son of Constitution victorious over his stablemate Following Sea.

At the break, Pipeline was the fastest out of the gate, but Following Sea, who finished third behind Aloha West in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 6, took over the lead as they crossed onto the Aqueduct backstretch. Following Sea maintained his one-length lead until the stretch, when Ginobili made his bid for the lead, taking over briefly as they straightened out into the stretch.

Following Sea fought back, passing Ginobili inside the final eighth of a mile as Plainsman and American Revolution made contact briefly as they made their bids for the front in the stretch. Americanrevolution dug in and took over the lead inside the last sixteenth of a mile, finishing a half-length in front of Following Sea. Plainsman was third, with Olympiad fourth. The inquiry sign went up after the race as stewards looked into contact between Plainsman and Americanrevolution in the stretch, but the results were allowed to stand.

The final time for the one-mile G1 stakes was 1:36.68. Find this race's chart here.

Americanrevolution paid $7.50, $4.10, and $3.30. Following Sea paid $5.10 and $4.10. Plainsman paid $5.60.

“Luis [Saez] rode him terrifically. He kept him going in the turn when he was in traffic and things were getting tight. He responded to an energetic ride. He never gave up on him and I think that was important, especially backing up from the mile and an eighth. He never wanted to take his foot off the peddle. He kept coming and we knew he'd be fit backing up in distance,” trainer Todd Pletcher said after the race.

“We weren't 100 percent positive about the mile, but a lot of times good horses do multiple things really well and I think he's a great example of that. Constitution puts so much determination into his offspring and they're just like he was – very tough horses and versatile. It's great to see him get that Grade 1 win.”

“When he came around the three-eighths he was a little bit off the bit. I had to start riding him to get the momentum and at the top of the stretch, when he switched leads, he gave me that kick. After that, I knew I could win the race but I wasn't sure because I still had Following Sea in front of me and he was battling but in the end, Americanrevolution made his move and he got there,” jockey Luis Saez told the NYRA Press Office after the race.

“I feel like Manny [Franco, aboard Plainsman] tried to come out and he was trying to push me away and wanted my spot, but I was in my lane and it looked like the horse inside came out a little bit too and that's what made it look like that.”

Bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding, Americanrevolution is out of the Super Saver mare Polly Freeze. He is owned by China Horse Club, Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, the son of Consitution was purchased by China Horse Club and Maverick Racing for $275,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Preferred New York Bred Yearling Sale. With his win in the G1 Cigar Mile, the 3-year-old colt has five wins in six starts in 2021 and career earnings of $944,535.

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Constitution Colt Closes Pick 3, Caps Exacta for Pletcher in Cigar Mile

In Todd we trust.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher completed a graded Pick 3, and an exacta, to close out the card in style at Aqueduct Saturday as the talented New York-bred Americanrevolution (Constitution) reeled in his stablemate and fellow 3-year-old and 'TDN Rising Star' Following Sea (Runhappy) in the GI Cigar Mile H. presented by NYRA Bets.

Coming off an 11 3/4-length drubbing in the Empire Classic H. going 1 1/8 miles around one turn against state-breds in the slop with a gaudy 108 Beyer Speed Figure at Belmont Oct. 30, the tepid 5-2 pick seemed to be spinning his wheels a bit while sitting in between horses in midpack as the rail-drawn Following Sea, a last out third with trouble in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, narrowly showed the way with GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile runner-up Ginobili (Munnings) in hot pursuit through fractions of :23.19 and :46.04.

Under a ride beneath Luis Saez entering the far turn, the CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm colorbearer and $275,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling popped out and got going three deep at the head of the lane, but brushed with Plainsman (Flatter) as that rival tried to force his way out of a spot inside the three-sixteenths. Americanrevolution kept on coming, however, and leveled off nicely with massive strides to forge past his stablemate by a half-length in the shadow of the wire. Plainsman was third. The stewards looked at the aforementioned stretch bumping but made no change.

“Luis [Saez] rode him terrifically,” Pletcher said. “He kept him going in the turn when he was in traffic and things were getting tight. He responded to an energetic ride. He never gave up on him and I think that was important, especially backing up from the mile and an eighth. He never wanted to take his foot off the peddle. He kept coming and we knew he'd be fit backing up in distance.

Pletcher continued, “We weren't 100% positive about the mile, but a lot of times good horses do multiple things really well and I think he's a great example of that. Constitution puts so much determination into his offspring and they're just like he was– very tough horses and versatile. It's great to see him get that Grade I win.”

Americanrevolution kicked off his 3-year-old season with three straight wins, including the New York Derby at Finger Lakes July 19 and Albany S. at Saratoga Aug. 27, all against fellow state-breds. He far from disgraced himself against open company with a solid third-place finish in Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow)'s GI Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 25 before his tour-de-force in the Empire Classic.

“He's a rare horse that when you look at his figures, he's improved every single start of his life,” Pletcher said. “That's great to see. It was a hard-earned win today, but he fought on.

Looking ahead, Pletcher added, “The way he ran the mile and an eighth [in the Albany and Empire Classic] would give you hopes he would be a Classic-type horse. I think the plan is to send him to WinStar now and give him a bit of a freshening.”

Pletcher, who also saddled Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) (GII Remsen S.) and Nest (Curlin) (GII Demoiselle S.) to wins in the previous two races on the undercard, pulled off the same graded stakes trio sweep in 2012 with Overanalyze, Unlimited Budget and Stay Thirsty, respectively.

Americanrevolution provided Pletcher with a fifth overall Cigar Mile tally after previously saddling Left Bank (2001), Lion Tamer (2004), Purge (2005), and Stay Thirsty (2012) to victories. It was also a second career Cigar Mile exacta for Pletcher, following a one-two finish by Left Bank and Graeme Hall in 2001.

“We felt good coming into today that we had some horses that were training the way you'd want them to be training leading up to a big race,” Pletcher said. “We were excited about the day coming in and it was one of those rare occasions where everything fell into place and everyone ran their race.”

Americanrevolution joins an impressive line-up of 3-year-olds–Forty Niner (1988), Dispersal (1989), Flying Chevron (1995), Gold Fever (1996), El Corredor (2000), Discreet Cat (2006), Daaher (2007), Tale of Ekati (2008), To Honor and Serve (2011), Connect (2016) and Maximum Security (2019)–to defeat their elders in the Cigar Mile, which was previously contested as the NYRA Mile.

Pedigree Notes:

Breeding a Grade I winner is the elusive grail, but Fred W. Hertrich lll and John D. Fielding have reached the pinnacle together two weekends in a row as, in addition to Americanrevolution, last Saturday's GI Hollywood Derby victor Beyond Brilliant (Twirling Candy) was also a product of their program, along with Robert L. Tribbett. The 3-year-olds were foaled just three days apart in their 2018 crop, albeit Americanrevolution in New York and Beyond Brilliant in Kentucky. Both were eventually sold with Americanrevolution fetching $275,000 as a Fasig-Tipton New York yearling from China Horse Club and Maverick Racing.

Hertrich had bought Polly Freeze as a maiden winner at the 2016 Keeneland November sale while she was carrying her first foal, a filly by Wicked Strong. The Super Saver mare also has a placed 2-year-old colt named Bold Journey (Hard Spun), a yearling filly by Collected, and was bred back to Frosted. She is one of three of Super Saver's daughters who have produced a black-type winner. The 14-year-old stallion formerly stood at WinStar but relocated to Turkey for the 2020 season. The Pletcher-trained Constitution, who leads the third-crop sire list, has remained at WinStar. In addition to Americanrevolution, the nine other graded winners among Constitution's 17 stakes winners have included MGISW and fellow New York-bred Tiz the Law.

Saturday, Aqueduct
CIGAR MILE H. PRESENTED BY NYRA BETS-GI, $750,000, Aqueduct, 12-4, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:36.68, ft.
1–AMERICANREVOLUTION, 117, c, 3, by Constitution
1st Dam: Polly Freeze, by Super Saver
2nd Dam: Elusive Gold, by Strike the Gold
3rd Dam: Save My Soul, by I'ma Hell Raiser
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($275,000 Ylg '19 SARAUG). O-CHC Inc & WinStar Farm LLC; B-Fred W Hertrich III & John D Fielding (NY); T-Todd A Pletcher; J-Luis Saez. $412,500. Lifetime Record: 7-5-0-1, $944,535. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A.
2–Following Sea, 119, c, 3, Runhappy–Quick Flip, by Speightstown. 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $150,000.
3–Plainsman, 119, h, 6, Flatter–S S Pinafore, by Street Sense.
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($350,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Shortleaf Stable Inc; B-Joseph Minor (KY); T-Brad H Cox. $90,000.
Margins: HF, 2HF, 1HF. Odds: 2.75, 3.50, 19.10.
Also Ran: Olympiad, Code of Honor, Ginobili, Independence Hall, Pipeline. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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