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Trainer Herbertson Sentenced To One Year In Jail After ‘No Contest’ Plea In Assault Case

Trainer Ari Herbertson has been sentenced to one year in jail and two years' probation after he entered a no contest plea to assault with a deadly weapon in Alameda County Superior Court in Alameda, Calif.

Herbertson, of El Sobrante, Calif., was charged with four felonies in February 2020 in connection with an assault of a woman near Golden Gate Fields in January 2019. Herbertson was arrested at the racetrack after law enforcement indicated a DNA match to Herbertson had been made in the case.

In November, the Alameda County court website erroneously listed Herbertson as having entered a no contest plea to sexual penetration with a foreign object, one of the original charges against him. That charge and two others were dismissed as part of his no contest plea to assault with a deadly weapon. The court has since corrected its record.

A legal representative for Herbertson indicated the trainer will receive credit for time served and is anticipated to be released in June 2022. He is currently incarcerated at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, Calif., according to Alameda County court records.

The California Horse Racing Board's website lists Herbertson's license as “in compliance,” though it is scheduled to expire Dec. 31, 2021.

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Yo Cuz Graduates To Stakes Winner In NYSSS Fifth Avenue

Dream Maker Racing's Yo Cuz made every pole a winning one in Saturday's $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juvenile fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the Laoban bay, who entered from a debut fifth in a state-bred maiden special weight sprint on November 21 at the Big A, broke third and was hustled to the lead by returning rider Jose Ortiz from post 5 to mark the opening quarter-mile in :22.96.

Yo Cuz maintained her lead down the backstretch through an easy half-mile in :47.10, a length in front of Bank On Anna with Laochi stalking another length back in third under Eric Cancel.

Morning Matcha, the 8-5 morning-line favorite piloted by Kendrick Carmouche, settled last of-11 through the opening quarter-mile but was keen to follow the rallying Shigeko through the turn as Yo Cuz attempted to kick clear of the field.

Yo Cuz opened up a four-length lead over Laochi at the stretch call as Morning Matcha overtook Shigeko and powered into contention down the center of the track. A game and determined Morning Matcha continued to find more but there was no reeling in Yo Cuz, who crossed the wire 1 3/4-lengths in front in a final time of 1:25.34.

Ortiz said Yo Cuz was much improved at second asking after experiencing trouble at the gate on debut.

“She was squeezed out of there and she was very green, too,” Ortiz said of the first-out effort. “I just sat patiently and tried to teach her some stuff. I didn't want to rush her. She's a big filly and she closed well last time. I was very happy with the race. I knew second time she was going to be a lot better. I expected she was going to win a maiden; I didn't know she was going to run in here. I knew this race was going to be a little bit tougher, but she proved that she belongs.

“She was ready today. She broke well today and he [Mott] worked on what she needed – breaking better, which she did,” Ortiz added. “She broke very clean and when I went to take position and looked around me, nobody could keep up with me in the first quarter. So, when I took [the lead] I slowed it down nicely and she was very relaxed.”

Ortiz, a three-time winner on the card, continued a solid run of form after going 3-for-3 on Friday night at Remington Park Oklahoma City, Okla., winning the She's All In with Casual, the Trapeze with Optionality, and the Springboard Mile with Make It Big.

“When you ride good horses, this is what happens. You get more chances to win races,” Ortiz said. “I appreciate all the opportunities I have been getting with big owners and big trainers supporting my career. That's what it's all about. You have to have the horse to win.”

Tom Gallo, managing partner of Dream Maker Racing, said he always had high hopes for Yo Cuz.

“When we first gave Bill the horse, we had this race in mind,” Gallo said. “When I mentioned it to Bill, he looked at me and laughed a little bit because he had just got her. But then she started to breeze at Saratoga and was training really well. We wanted to get one race in her before this and she ran fifth about four weeks ago. She broke bad, trailed the field but then weaved her way between horses and galloped out past the leader. When we spoke to Jose Ortiz after the race, he said that he really liked the horse. It's nice to have continuity because he knew her.”

Gallo said the $125,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase made a good first impression.

“The thing that stood out for us was that she was one of the few in that sale who galloped and didn't breeze,” Gallo said. “We like when people take time with their horses. The fact that she was a good size and came out of a good consignment [Hidden Brook] was appealing.”

Morning Matcha completed the exacta by five lengths over Laochi with Shigeko, Bank On Anna, Laoban's Legacy, She's a Big Deal, Alicia's Way, Howdyoumakeurmoney, Mrs. Banks, and Half Birthday rounding out the order of finish.

Carmouche said the slow-starting Morning Matcha, who maintained a perfect in-the-money record of 7-2-3-2, will not be hustled.

“She breaks a little slow and gets herself together, but you can't rush her,” Carmouche said. “She's going to pick up the bit when she wants. Today, we were just second best.”

Bred in New York by Seidman Stables, Yo Cuz, out of the Tale of Ekati mare Steve's Philly, banked $275,000 in victory while improving her record to 2-1-0-0. She paid $8.00 for a $2.00 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a nine-race card featuring the $100,000 Gravesend in Race 7 and the $125,000 Queens County in Race 8. 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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Avenue De France Gets Second Stakes Win In Miss America At Golden Gate

5-year-old mare Avenue de France saved ground the whole way around the racetrack and shot by the early pace players to win the $50,000 Miss America Stakes on Sunday afternoon at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, Calif. The Miss America, originally scheduled for the turf, was transferred to the Tapeta main track after a steady rainfall hit the Bay Area throughout the day on Sunday.

Avenue de France, who won the Luther Burbank Stakes on turf in August, sat in fourth position early on in the race and hugged the rail for the entire one-mile journey. Down the stretch, a seam opened up for Avenue de France, who darted forward, pushed past runner-up finisher and 7-5 favorite Brooke in the final stages, and won the mile and a sixteenth contest by a length. Avenue de France stopped the clock for the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.19 seconds. Early pacesetter Sloane Garden finished third, followed by Reiwa, Tapwater, and Blue Diva.

Avenue de France paid $17.00 to win, $5.40 to place, and $3.60 to show. Brooke paid $3.40 to place and $2.60 to show while Sloane Garden returned $4.20 to show.

Avenue De France, guided to victory by Assael Espinoza, is trained by Southern California condition Leonard Powell. She is owned in partnership by the Benowitz Family Trust, Convergence Stables, Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder Stables, and Mathilde Powell. With the stakes victory, Avenue de France improved her lifetime record to five wins and four third-place finishes from 14 lifetime starts, with career earnings of $157,612. Avenue de France was bred in France by SARL Jedburgh Stud and Theirry de Heronniere.

Sunday concludes the 2021 Fall Meet at Golden Gate Fields. Live racing resumes the day after Christmas, Sunday, December 26, commencing the upcoming Winter/Spring meet which runs from late December to mid-June. First post is 12:45 PM PT.

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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.

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