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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