Laobanonaprayer | Horse Racing Free Tips

Vacay Takes On Laobanonaprayer In Franklin Square For New York-Breds

Two-time stakes winner Laobanonaprayer will cut back in distance in Saturday's seventh running of the $100,000 Franklin Square, a 6 1/2-furlong test for New York-bred sophomore fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Owned and trained by Daniel Velazquez, the bay filly is a daughter of second crop stallion Laoban, who broke his maiden against stakes company in the 2016 Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga Race Course.

Like her sire, Laobanonaprayer also notched her first career win at stakes caliber when defeating next-out winner Frost Me in the one-mile Maid of the Mist on October 24 at Belmont Park, which took place following a respective third and second against maiden special weight company at Delaware Park.

Piloted by jockey Kendrick Carmouche in her maiden score against fellow state-breds, Laobanonaprayer tracked a close fifth in behind horses, weaved her way through traffic up the rail around the far turn, took command approaching the eighth pole and drew off to a 5 ½-length victory.

Last out, Laobanonaprayer displayed another dominant effort in the seven-furlong NYSSS Fifth Avenue on December 6 at the Big A, where she rated off the pace from the four path and picked up runners around the far turn before taking command at the three-sixteenths pole and striding away an eight-length winner as the odds-on favorite under Carmouche.

Velazquez said Laobanonaprayer is better suited for longer distances, but a cutback in ground won't hinder her winning chances.

“I still think six-and-a-half is not her key distance,” Velazquez said. “It's just the way things went. We debuted her going 5 ½-furlongs and she was third. I'm not saying she can't do six-and-a-half, but she would be better going anywhere from seven-eighths, a flat mile to a mile and a sixteenth. That's more her cup of tea.”

Based at Parx Racing for the winter, Laobanonaprayer worked five-eighths over the Philadelphia oval in 1:02.24 on January 9.

“We're excited,” Velazquez said. “She's doing really well and it's a good spot for her to win. We were going to try open company, but we figured why do that when we could run against New York-breds. She's extremely versatile and I know she handles the wet track.”

Bred in New York by Christina Deronda, Laobanonaprayer is out of the Raffie's Majesty mare Raffie's Chance. She was purchased by Velazquez for $15,000 from last year's Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where she was consigned by Hidden Brook.

Carmouche, the leading rider at the winter meet, will retain the mount from post 4.

Laobanonaprayer will face a stiff test from up-and-coming filly Vacay, who is unbeaten in two career starts.

Owned by Repole Stable and Aron Wellman's Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the dark bay or brown daughter of second crop sire Not This Time won on debut over a sloppy and sealed main track at Belmont Park before winning the six-furlong Key Cents against state-breds on November 15 at the Big A.

Piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the Key Cents, Vacay was in stalking position and went five wide at the quarter pole before edging up to even terms with the frontrunners at the three sixteenths pole and strolling home a 5 ½ length winner for trainer Todd Pletcher, who won the 2016 Franklin Square with Clipthecouponannie.

Bred by J Stables, Vacay is the third progeny out of the Belgravia mare Florida Sun, who was a stakes winner at six furlongs.

Vacay will emerge from post 1 under jockey Jose Lezcano.

Trainer Ray Handal will saddle Key Cents runner-up Rossa Veloce in attempt of her first stakes victory.

Co-owned by Handal with Blue Streak Racing, Rossa Veloce defeated winners last out in wire-to-wire fashion on December 20 at Aqueduct going six furlongs. With five career starts, the chestnut daughter of Girolamo is the most seasoned filly in the Franklin Square field with a record of 2-1-0. Rossa Veloce won her August 5 debut at Saratoga by a half-length, defeating subsequent stakes winner No Mo Spending.

Jockey Manny Franco retains the mount from post 5.

Completing the field are maiden special weight winners Secret Love [post 2, Pablo Morales], A Life That's Good [post 3, Trevor McCarthy], and Caramocha [post 6, Dylan Davis].

The Franklin Square is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's nine-race program, which has a first post of 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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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Bloodlines Presented By Diamond B Farm’s Rowayton: Shuffled Juvenile Sale Calendar Doesn’t Change Success Of Grads

The sales of 2-year-olds in training could hardly have had a more robust promotion than the results of racing over the weekend. One sales horse from the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's postponed April sale that was conducted in June won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Starlet, while another sold at the auction won the G2 Remsen in New York. In addition, a filly from Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic sale at Timonium won the restricted Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes.

A poster pony for in-training sales success, Varda (by Distorted Humor) was a star at the OBS sale held in June (not the OBS June sale that was held in July this crazy year). The progressive filly was an excellent example of her sire's best sort of prospect, with the strength and speed of a serious athlete. Varda flamed a quarter-mile in :20 4/5 for her under-tack work, and she sold like the star she has become.

Part of the Niall Brennan sales consignment, Varda brought $700,000 from Donato Lanni, agent for Baoma Corp. The dark bay filly has now won two of her three starts, is a Grade 1 winner and Grade 2-placed, and has earnings of more than a quarter-million.

Bred in New York by Masters 2013 LLC and Distorted Humor Syndicate, Varda was a $100,000 yearling at the New York select sale at Saratoga. Then brought to the in-training sales, this filly looked so good and worked so impressively that she generated one of the greatest markups of the resale market in Ocala this year.

In marked contrast, the Remsen winner Brooklyn Strong (Wicked Strong) was a $30,000 weanling at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall sale, then was a $42,000 RNA the following year at the same New York-bred select sale where Varda sold for six figures. Brought back to the sales ring two months later in Ocala for the OBS October yearling sale, Brooklyn Strong was an RNA for $6,000 this time. In his final brush with the sales, Brooklyn Strong sold for $5,000 at the OBS spring sale of 2-year-olds in training, held in June.

Coming out of the same massive sale, both Varda and Brooklyn Strong became graded stakes winners the same weekend on opposite coasts. The polar difference in their prices was significantly dependent on the appeal of their sires. Whereas Varda's sire Distorted Humor is the source of classic winners and champions, Wicked Strong (Hard Spun) bred 54 mares earlier this year, as his appeal to owners and buyers began to wane, and the horse was moved to Pin Oak Lane Farm in Pennsylvania in October for the 2021 season.

Brooklyn Strong is his sire's third stakes winner from two crops of racing age and the first graded stakes winner.

Despite the differences in price and sire power between the Starlet winner and the star of the Remsen, there are also some important similarities. Varda worked like a wonder, and Brooklyn Strong worked quite well, going a furlong in :10 2/5. In contrast to these quick workers, the winner of the Fifth Avenue, Laobanonaprayer, went relatively slow. That filly, by the sensational freshman sire Laoban (Uncle Mo), worked a quarter in :22 3/5, which is plenty quick for racing but not for a sales work. The sales price reflected that, and the big, scopy filly went through the ring for only $15,000 to owner-trainer Daniel Velazquez, who also trains Brooklyn Strong.

One of the reasons that I know so much about these sales horses is my work with DataTrack International, evaluating workouts, strides, efficiency, and athletic potential. One of the measures that DataTrack uses to evaluate horses is a proprietary item called BreezeFigs, which are essentially speed figures for workouts.

Using BreezeFigs, Varda scored a 70, Brooklyn Strong got a 68, and Laobanonaprayer had a 56. Several factors go into the computation of the BreezeFigs, aside from the raw time of the work. Rather than the high speed of the first two, Laobanonaprayer has the rather loping stride of a filly who should be even better going farther; that's how she won the Fifth Avenue, looping her rivals on the turn and loping past them, then keeping up those big, easy strides as she pulled away to win by eight lengths as the even-money favorite.

Another similarity of these quality racehorses is that each of them showed a stride length that was longer than 24 feet in their works. A really good racehorse has to cover the ground faster than its rivals. To do that, it either has to stride farther or to stride faster. The super-powered sprinters tend to throw in more strides, while the stayers tend to stretch out farther. The ones who can keep it up are the ones who end up in the winner's circle.

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Laopanonaprayer Much Best In Fifth Avenue Division Of New York Stallion Series

Kendrick Carmouche captured his first New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) riding title by guiding Laobanonaprayer to a convincing victory in Sunday's $250,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juvenile fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Carmouche entered the day with 21 wins, four more than second-place Jose Lezcano and clinched the title in style with an eight-length score aboard Laobanonaprayer, who is owned and trained by Daniel Velazquez.

“I got the best post position,” said Carmouche. “The best thing to do was to just watch everything go on to the inside of me and go from there. Everything set up perfect. I just had to be patient and let my horse run on. I'm just very happy for my buddy Danny Velazquez and his family and his team. We all came together to win another race. It's wonderful when you are in the winner's circle.”

Laobanonaprayer assumed a stalking position in fourth as Flower's Fortune set a contested opening quarter-mile of 23.95 seconds under pressure from U Should B Dancing and the rail-surging Jill's a Hot Mess.

Jill's a Hot Mess wrestled the lead away heading into the turn through a half-mile in 47.30 as Carmouche asked Laobanonaprayer to shift into gear racing outside of rivals. Moving comfortably throughout, Laobanonaprayer kicked clear of Jill's a Hot Mess down the lane and sprinted home in 1:24.95 on the fast main track.

Jill's a Hot Mess stayed on strong to complete the exacta by 3 1/2-lengths over Shanes Pretty Lady.

Rounding out the order of finish were Pop the Bubbly, Pazzion, Ms Wicked, Gray Destiny, Vive La Liberty, Flower's Fortune, Athena Dancer and U Should B Dancing. Tangerine Dream was scratched.

Following a pair of on-the-board efforts at Delaware Park to start her career, Velazquez added blinkers and the services of Carmouche for the filly's 5 1/2-length maiden win in the Maid of the Mist on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park.

Velazquez said he was confident of a strong effort despite a slight cutback in distance from her last out one-mile win over state-breds.

“I knew we came prepared,” said Velazquez. “I was questioning the distance but I knew she could handle it. I think she can actually go a mile and an eighth. I'm really looking forward to testing her against open company. That's where we'll really know where she is. It's fun to compete in these stakes, but we got to test her against open company.

Bred in the Empire State by Christina Deronda, Laobanonaprayer banked $137,500 in victory while improving her record to 4-2-1-1. A bay daughter of Laoban, out of the Raffie's Majesty mare Raffie's Chance, Laobanonaprayer returned $4 on a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Thursday at the Big A with a nine-race card to kick off Opening Day of the 56-day winter meet, which will include 42 stakes races worth $4.57 million in purse money. First post is 12:20 p.m.

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Laobanonaprayer Cuts Back In Distance For Sunday’s NYSSS Fifth Avenue

Laobanonaprayer, owned and trained by Daniel Velazquez, headlines Sunday's $250,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juvenile fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Fifth Avenue is one of three stakes on Closing Day of the Big A fall meet, which also features the $250,000 NYSSS Great White Way at seven furlongs for eligible New York-sired juveniles and the $100,000 Garland of Roses at six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Laobanonaprayer, a Laoban bay bred in the Empire State by Christina Deronda, was purchased for $15,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. She made her first two starts at Delaware Park, finishing third on debut in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint in September and a good second to Celestial Cheetah when stretched out to one mile on Oct. 5.

Velazquez added blinkers and the services of rider Kendrick Carmouche for Laobanonaprayer's stakes debut in the one-mile Maid of the Mist for state-breds on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park and the filly responded with a 5 1/2-length romp that garnered a field-best 68 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She put me in a perfect spot and she was travelling easy,” said Carmouche. “She finished up really well. I think the cutback in distance will be even better for her. He told me she's been training really well. We'll just break and sit and watch it develop.”

The victory marked the first stakes score for Velazquez, who then doubled his stakes totals in the very next race when Brooklyn Strong – who is entered in Saturday's Grade 2 Remsen at the Big A – captured the Sleepy Hollow.

Carmouche leads all riders at the Big A fall meet with 16 wins and purse earnings of $968,619 heading into Thursday's card, boasting a 62 percent in-the-money record in tandem with Velazquez [27-4-7-6].

Laobanonaprayer, who Velazquez said is training without blinkers but will race with them on Sunday, has posted a pair of bullet works out of the Maid of the Mist score, including a five-eighths effort in 1:00.60 on Saturday on the Delaware Park dirt.

Carmouche will guide Laobanonaprayer from post 11 and he said he hopes to double up in stakes company for his good friend Velazquez.

“He's my little brother and I'm always rooting for him,” said Carmouche. “I won the stakes for him the other day and we'll try again on Sunday. You have to be in it to win it.”

Trainer Wayne Potts will saddle a pair of contenders for their dirt debuts in Dennis L. Deeb, Mary Lentini and Eric Miller's Athena Dancer and Domenic Dilalla's Ms Wicked.

Athena Dancer, a dark bay daughter of War Dancer out of the multiple stakes-winning Catienus mare Talking Treasure, earned a 62 Beyer when breaking her maiden at second asking on Nov. 20 on the Big A turf.

Potts has trained Athena Dancer, a $21,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, extensively over the Monmouth Park dirt and said the filly should handle the surface switch.

“I think Athena will be able to dirt and turf. She's a quiet, laid-back filly and does whatever you need her to do,” said Potts. “I was working her for several dirt efforts at Monmouth and I was never able to get a chance to run her on the dirt. She trains really good on the dirt. I was never able to breeze her on the grass but I thought she would grass and she did. She's doing very well.”

Bred in Ontario by Janeane Everatt, James Everatt and Arika Everatt-Meeuse, Ms Wicked made her first four starts at Woodbine Racetrack for trainer Cole Bennett, culminating in a last-to-first charge to win an open 1 1/16-mile maiden-claiming tilt on the Tapeta on Nov. 8.

The dark bay daughter of War Dancer is stakes-placed having completed the trifecta in the 6 1/2-furlong Muskoka, a sales stakes Tapeta sprint for juvenile fillies foaled in Canada.

She joined the Potts barn 10 days ago and worked a half-mile in company Sunday on the Belmont dirt training track in 51.24 seconds.

“I worked her behind a horse and she took the dirt very well,” said Potts. “She went an easy half-mile and the gallop out was very good. The whole question will be can she take all that dirt in her face, because she'll be coming from way back.”

Potts said a possible wet track wouldn't hinder the chances of either filly.

“If we get a wet surface, I don't think it will bother either one of those fillies,” said Potts. “They'll both have to step it up a little bit, but they're both worth giving a shot in this race.”

Dylan Davis has the call on Ms Wicked from post 6, while Jose Ortiz will guide Athena Dancer from post 9.

Cobra Farm and R R Partners' Gray Destiny, by Mission Impazible and out of the More Than Ready mare Happy Retreat, earned a 62 Beyer in her winning debut when 4 3/4-lengths the better of next-out winner Cara's Dreamer in a 1 1/16-mile off-the-turf state-bred maiden special weight on Oct. 30 at Belmont.

Trained by Christophe Clement, who leads all trainers at the Big A fall meet with 14 wins heading into Thursday's card, Gray Destiny was purchased for $50,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale.

Bred in the Empire State by Twin Creeks Farm, Gray Destiny has breezed twice since her maiden win including an easy half-mile in 50.54 on Nov. 28 on Big Sandy.

Jose Lezcano retains the mount from the inside post.

Jeremiah Englehart will saddle Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Pazzion and Fortune Farm's Flower's Fortune.

By Mission Impazible and out of the Big Brown mare Brown Eyes Blue, Pazzion rallied to a maiden victory last out on Oct. 26 in an open six-furlong sprint on a sloppy main track at Finger Lakes.

Flower's Fortune, by Effinex, completed the exacta in Pazzion's maiden win and followed with another runner-up effort on Nov. 22 at the Big A in a one-turn mile for state-breds.

Andrew Shivnarine Worrie retains the mount on Pazzion from post 5, while Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. will guide Flower's Fortune from post 12.

DutchessViews Farm's New York homebred Shanes Pretty Lady graduated by 3 3/4-lengths at first asking in a six-furlong state-bred sprint on Sept. 20 at Belmont for former conditioner Gary Gullo.

Last out, in her first start for trainer Todd Pletcher, the dark bay daughter of Bellamy Road trailed throughout in the six-furlong Key Cents for New York-breds on Nov. 15 at the Big A.

Joel Rosario picks up the mount from post 3.

Rounding out the field are maidens Vive La Liberty [post 7, Luis Cardenas], Tangerine Dream [post 2, Charlie Marquez], Jill's a Hot Mess [post 4, John Velazquez], U Should B Dancing [post 10, Junior Alvarado] and Pop the Bubbly [post 8, Manny Franco].

The NYSSS Fifth Avenue is slated as Race 6 on Sunday's 9-race card. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

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