Modernist Could Target Brooklyn Following Excelsior Score

Pam and Martin Wygod's Modernist earned a 95 Beyer for his 2 1/2-length score in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior, a nine-furlong test for older horses at Aqueduct racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

With Junior Alvarado up for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Modernist tracked in second position and shook clear at the head of the lane en route to a convincing win over the late-closing Haikal.

The 4-year-old Uncle Mo colt graduated last January at the Big A ahead of a win in the Grade 2 Risen Star and a third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, both at Fair Grounds. He was given a freshening after off-the-board efforts in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Grade 3 Peter Pan at Saratoga.

“He's doing good this morning,” said Mott's New York-based assistant Leana Willaford. “The last couple races last year, he was looking like he was ready for a break and he got one. It obviously helped him. He came back to me here much more mature physically and mentally. I thought he looked great going into the race.”

Willaford said the prominent trip was a good one for the long-running colt, especially after the scratch of 4-5 morning line favorite Mr. Buff.

“He's run well that way. He was on the lead when he broke his maiden and vying for it when he won the Risen Star,” said Willaford. “With Mr. Buff out, you figured you better be up there and they didn't go very fast early. Distance will not be a limitation for this horse. He can go all day.”

A possible target for Modernist would be the 12-furlong Grade 2, $400,000 Brooklyn on June 5 at Belmont.

WinStar Stablemates Racing's Paris Lights garnered an 85 Beyer for her half-length score over pacesetter Portal Creek in the Grade 3 Distaff on Friday at the Big A.

“She ran great,” said Willaford. “She was sitting a little closer than I imagined she would, but it was good that she did because that filly got away with some slow fractions, too.”

Paris Lights is likely to target the Grade 1, $500,000 La Troienne on April 30 at Churchill Downs.

Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' Candy Man Rocket faded to ninth in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial after an early stalking trip under Alvarado.

“The track was a little deep for him. He sat close easily and Junior said he asked him a little at the three-eighths pole and he gave him a run to the quarter pole,” said Willaford. “He came out of it fine this morning. I think we just need to shorten him up. He looks like more of a one-turn type of horse.”

There's A Chance Stable, Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Paradise Farms Corp., and David Staudacher's Horologist is set to make her seasonal debut in Saturday's $100,000 Top Flight Invitational at nine furlongs on the main track.

The 5-year-old New Jersey-bred daughter of Gemologist won the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park and Grade 2 Beldame at Belmont last year. She completed a lucrative campaign with an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff in November at Keeneland.

“She's doing good,” said Willaford. “She was here last year before the Beldame for quite a while and she looks as good or better as she did in the late summer and fall.”

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Into Chocolate Upsets Chillingworth Stakes At Santa Anita

With well backed favorites Qahira and Amuse slugging it out to deep stretch, longshot Into Chocolate came running three wide late and was up to win Friday's Grade 3, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.  Owned and bred by Pam and Martin Wygod, the 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief got 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.86 and was ridden to the three-quarter-length victory by Umberto Rispoli.

“I didn't know much about her, but Mr. Sise said she was doing really good and she should run a lot better than she did at Del Mar,” said Rispoli, who was aboard for the first time.  “It looked like they were going pretty fast in front and my filly was very professional.”

A second condition allowance winner going six furlongs at Belmont Park July 12, Into Chocolate returned to Del Mar and was subsequently beaten 20 lengths while never a factor in the G3 Rancho Bernardo Stakes going 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 21.

Off at 8-1 in a field of five fillies and mares today, Into Chocolate paid $19.60, $4.80 and $2.80.

“We threw her last race at Del Mar out,” said Sise.  “She came out of that race body sore and then her blood count was off.  She's been feeling really good here since we got back and I could tell saddling her today that she was doing good and she was ready.  Those were some nice fillies and it's always good to win.”

Out of the Wygods' Candy Ride mare Candy Drawer, Into Chocolate picked up her first stakes win and notched her fourth win from 11 starts.  With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $216,031.

Bob Baffert's Qahira, was off as the 3-5 favorite, out-gamed Amuse for the place and paid $2.60 and $2.10 with Luis Saez aboard.

Amuse, who was lapped on the favorite throughout, finished a half length clear of Hang a Star.  Off at 2-1 with Drayden Van Dyke up, she paid $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.18, 44.94 and 1:09.51.

Formerly run as the LA Woman Stakes, the Chillingworth honors the memory of longtime Oak Tree Racing Association Executive Vice President Sherwood Chillingworth, who passed away in October 2019 at the age of 93.

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