Giacosa | Horse Racing Free Tips

Speaktomeofsummer Looks To Return To Stakes-Winning Form In Forever Together

Fresh off a nearly four-month layoff, Waterford Stable's Speaktomeofsummer will look to return to her stakes-winning ways as part of a six-horse field of fillies and mares 3-years-old and up competing in Friday's $150,000 Forever Together contested at 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The Christophe Clement-trained Speaktomeofsummer will be competing for the first time since running sixth against optional claimers on July 28 over firm turf at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The 4-year-old Summer Front filly won a stakes at both 2 and 3, capturing the 2019 Chelsey Flower at the Big A before winning the Grade 2 Lake Placid in July at the Spa.

After running off the board in each of her three starts in the current campaign, Speaktomeofsummer will have another chance to become a stakes winner at 4, with her conditioner saying she has been training forwardly at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., including a four-furlong breeze in :50.22 over the Belmont dirt training track on November 16.

“She's been doing very well since we got her back and she's been training forwardly,” Clement said.

Jockey Manny Franco will pick up the mount for the first time, drawing the inside post.

Steve Feiger's Flower Point handled the step up in class with a third-place effort in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel last out on October 23 over firm Belmont turf. The 5-year-old Point of Entry mare netted a career-high 90 Beyer Speed Figure in her 15th career start, and will look to pick up her first stakes win for Hall of Fame conditioner Shug McGaughey.

Jose Lezcano, aboard for her previous effort in the one-mile Noble Damsel, will have the return assignment as Flower Point looks to stretch out, drawing post 4.

New York-bred Giacosa has finished on the board in four of her five starts of her 4-year-old campaign, including a three-quarter length victory in the Yaddo, contested against fellow state-breds at the Forever Together distance in August at the Spa, for owner and trainer H. James Bond.

The daughter of Tizway ran sixth last out in the Ticonderoga against fellow New York-breds on November 5 at Belmont but will look to get back on track on Friday, drawing post 3 with Luis Saez in the irons.

Rounding out the field is Platinum Paynter, third in the Grade 3 Dr. James Penny Memorial in July at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Penn., for trainer Juan Vazquez [post 6, Dylan Davis]; the Brittany Russell-trained Sailingintothewind, off back-to-back fourth place efforts, will make her first Aqueduct appearance [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche]; and Mucha Mezquina, trained by Mark Salvaggio, who will be looking for her first stakes win in her 32nd career start [post 2, Julio Hernandez].

The Forever Together is slated as Race 4 on the 10-race card with a post time of 1:18 p.m. Eastern. First post is 11:50 a.m.

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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Giacosa Leads Field For Friday’s Ticonderoga Stakes

Bond Racing Stable's Giacosa will seek a second straight stakes triumph when facing eight other New York-bred fillies and mares in Friday's $200,000 Ticonderoga going 1 1/16 miles over the inner turf at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Originally scheduled as part of Empire Showcase Day on October 30, the Ticonderoga, as well as its male counterpart race, the $200,000 Mohawk, were rescheduled due to significant rainfall from a coastal storm that impacted the Nassau County area.

Giacosa, trained by Jimmy Bond, enters the Ticonderoga off her first stakes victory in the Yaddo Handicap on August 27 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The dark bay Tizway filly was ninth at the second point of call and made a devastating late move to win by three-quarters of a length. Giacosa displayed different tactics in her previous effort in an allowance optional claimer in July at Saratoga, when stalking the pace from second down the backstretch to secure a one-length victory over next-out winner Light in the Sky.

“She's an improving filly and hopefully we have good enough turf to run over this time around,” said Bond. “She made plenty of steps forward at Saratoga this summer. She's a mentally and physically stronger horse this year. Her daddy Tizway didn't really get going until he was five, so maybe she's a late bloomer like he was.”

Bond said training in company with stablemate Rinaldi, who is expected to be entered in Saturday's rescheduled $200,000 Mohawk, has been beneficial.

“She works with Rinaldi and he's not an easy horse to work with,” Bond said. “It seems to be making her a far better horse.”

Kendrick Carmouche will ride Giacosa from post 8.

Trainer Christophe Clement sends out Classic Lady, who seeks her second stakes coup. Owned by Michael Dubb and Michael J. Caruso and bred by Seth Gregory and Robert Barney, the daughter of Jimmy Creed captured last year's Dayatthespa at Saratoga ahead of the Yaddo last September. She emerged off the bench when fourth against open company in an allowance optional claimer Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., in July ahead of a third in the Yaddo.

Breaking from post 1, Classic Lady will be ridden by Paco Lopez.

Also from the Clement barn is Merrylegs Farm homebred Timeless Journey, who seeks her first triumph since an allowance optional claiming score last December at Aqueduct. The 4-year-old daughter of Verrazano arrives of a third-place finish in a seven furlong state-bred allowance optional claimer on September 26 at Belmont.

Timeless Journey will be piloted by Eric Cancel from post 3.

Completing the field are Silky Blue [post 2, Manny Franco], Cara's Dreamer [post 5, Dylan Davis], Barkin [post 6, Jose Lezcano], Dancingwthdaffodls [post 7, Hector Diaz, Jr.], and Two Cent Tootsie [post 9, Ruben Silvera]. Ice Princess has been entered for the main track only.

The Ticonderoga is carded as Race 8 on Friday's 10-race card, which also features the $150,000 Tempted for juvenile fillies going a one-turn mile on the main track, the $100,000 Atlantic Beach for juveniles going six furlongs on the turf, and the $100,000 Awad for juveniles going 1 1/16 miles over the turf. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, 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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Two-Day Pick 4 At Saratoga Pays $156.50 To Winners

A special two-day Pick 4 featuring exciting stakes action Friday and Saturday from historic Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., during Runhappy Travers weekend paid $156.50 on a $2 base for selecting 4-of-4 winners. The total pool was $169,386.

The wager, which featured a mandatory payout, ran its first two legs on Friday's card and concluded on Saturday during Runhappy Travers Day.

Friday saw New York breds earn the spotlight at the Spa, with six stakes worth a combined $1.15 million for horses bred in the Empire State on the card. The two-day Pick 4 started with the $250,000 Albany for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on the main track in Race 9, with Americanrevolution posting a five-length win as the heavy favorite. Meet-leading rider Luis Saez stayed off the pace before coaxing a strong closing surge from Americanrevolution, who is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. He completed the course in 1:49.94 and paid $3.40 on a $2 win bet.

Saez earned a personal double by leading Giacosa to victory in the following race, rallying from ninth to best Myhartblongstodady by three-quarters of a length to win the $150,000 Yaddo for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Trained by H. James Bond, Giacosa went off at 9-1 but hit the wire in 1:42.54, paying $20.80.

Saturday closed the Pick 4 with a pair of prestigious Grade 1 contests, starting when favorite Letruska topped Bonny South by a half-length in an exciting finish to the $600,000 Personal Ensign presented by Lia Infiniti. Conditioned by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska went gate-to-wire in the 1 1/8-mile main track contest, registering a final time of 1:49.15 under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. Letruska returned $3.50.

The 152nd running of the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers for sophomores contesting the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles closed out the wager when favorite Essential Quality held off Midnight Bourbon by a neck to bolster his case as the top 3-year-old.

Essential Quality, the winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets and the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in his previous start at the Spa, gave trainer Brad Cox his first career Runhappy Travers win, while Saez earned his second and first since 2013 when he rode Will Take Charge. Essential Quality posted a final time of 2:01.96 and paid $2.90.

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