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Un Ojo Eyeing Feb. 5 Withers; Gotham Next For Fromanothamutha

Cypress Creek Equine's Un Ojo is on track to make his graded stakes debut in the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers on Feb. 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y. The nine-furlong Withers offers 10-4-2-1 qualifying points on the road to the Kentucky Derby to the top-four finishers, respectively.

Trained by Tony Dutrow, the son of Laoban had his first work since his game effort in the Great White Way, breezing four furlongs in 49.13 seconds over Belmont Park's dirt training track on Friday in company with fellow Dutrow trainee Fair Haired Boy, a 5-year-old maiden winner.

“We had plenty of time between races, so we gave him a little bit of a break there immediately after the stakes and we're extremely happy with him,” Dutrow said. “If things keep going the way they are today, he'll be in the Withers.”

Un Ojo's second in the Great White Way was the first stakes placing of his career, fighting on valiantly with eventual winner Geno down the stretch to be defeated just a neck despite losing momentum when he was bumped by Geno at the sixteenth pole.

Dutrow said he is not concerned with Un Ojo's step up to the graded ranks for the first time.

“I think he'll manage it just fine. We're feeling very good about the distance and how the race is coming up,” said Dutrow. “His breeding says that the distance shouldn't be a problem. We are looking forward to it for sure.”

Other horses under consideration for the Withers include the top-three finishers of the Jerome – Courvoisier, Smarten Up and Cooke Creek – as well as maiden winner Constitutionlawyer.

Fromanothamutha G3 Gotham bound following maiden score
Trainer Ray Handal said recent maiden winner Fromanothamutha will target the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on March 5, a one-turn mile offering 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

Fromanothamutha, a 3-year-old son of Unified, broke his maiden gate-to-wire Thursday by 4 1/4 lengths in a seven-furlong maiden special weight under regular pilot Manny Franco, registering a career-best 87 Beyer.

Fromanothamutha entered Thursday's win from a distant seventh in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Remsen, but kept salty company throughout the maiden ranks, finishing behind subsequent stakes-winner Chattalot in his July debut at Saratoga. He would go on to finish second in his fourth start to Mo Donegal – the eventual Remsen winner.

“He's just been knocking at the door,” Handal said. “He bounced out of the Remsen in good order. We were looking at this race and if he were to win, then the Gotham from there. He should handle the mile just fine and he's shown that he's pretty legit.”

Handal said Franco, who piloted Fromanothamutha for the first time in the Remsen, benefited from the race experience aboard the dark bay.

“Manny said he thought he might have put him to sleep a little bit in the Remsen. He was getting a little bit lackadaisical,” Handal said. “This time, he kept him going at task in a spot where he was happy.”

Owned by Handal in partnership with Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Craig Taylor and Peter M. Rinato, Fromanothamutha is out of the Aptitude mare Prevention. He was bought for $120,000 out of the 2021 OBS March Sale.

Handal has won 5-of-16 starts in 2022 heading into Sunday's card, all of which were at Aqueduct. In addition to Fromanothamutha, he scored with Constitutionlawyer, who is bound for the Grade 3 Withers. Other victories for Handal this year include Just Read It and maiden winners Ribot's Valentine and The Honorable Ruth.

“We just have to keep it rolling along,” Handal said. “We're just happy to have nice horses and patient owners. It's great for the whole team.”

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Handal Eyeing Withers With Sharp Maiden Winner Constitutionlawyer

Perrine Time Thoroughbreds and West Paces Racing's Constitutionlawyer impressed trainer Ray Handal enough in his last out maiden victory to make the jump to graded stakes level for the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers on Feb. 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The nine-furlong Withers is a qualifying race for the 2022 Kentucky Derby, offering 10-4-2-1 points to the top-four finishers.

The son of 2021 leading third-crop sire Constitution displayed different dynamics when graduating at third asking on Jan. 2 at the Big A, adding Lasix and leading gate-to-wire to win by 3 1/2 lengths while registering an 85 Beyer.

“He got a big figure the other day. We're just hopeful that it wasn't just the Lasix,” Handal said. “He ran a monster race and he's a real stayer. That's the one benefit about him. From start to finish he has a high cruising speed.”

Handal noted that Constitutionlawyer showed improvement at the gate in his maiden victory. In his previous two starts, he was placed toward the rear of the field early on and closed late to finish a respective fourth and third to next-out stakes-winners Mo Donegal in October and Courvoisier in December.

“He broke a lot better. In his first two starts, he broke with the pack and then he'd check himself out of it and get a little tardy,” Handal said. “Four days before this last race, I popped him out of the gate just to make sure he was sharp and could do what he needed to do. He broke super on race day, and he was able to do whatever Dylan [Davis] needed for him to do that day.”

Constitutionlawyer, a $170,000 purchase from the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the Lawyer Ron mare Lawyer Brockmeyer.

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Just Read It Looks For Second Stakes Win Saturday In Garland Of Roses

Just Read It, trained and co-owned by Ray Handal with Ken Russell and Brown Road Racing, will look to secure her second stakes win at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., in Saturday's $100,000 Garland of Roses, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

A second-out maiden winner at the Big A in January, the sophomore daughter of Constitution captured the six-furlong Cicada here on March 20. She returned from a nearly eight-month layoff on November 3 to finish a closing third in a six-furlong optional-claiming sprint at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

“It was a good effort,” Handal said. “She's matured from what I've seen in the morning. She's gotten bigger and she's mentally more put together. I expect her to run an improved race. We know she likes Aqueduct, so that always helps.”

Out of the Broken Vow mare Mybrokenhome, the Kentucky-bred was purchased for $70,000 at the OBS July 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale.

Fromanothamutha, owned by Handal in partnership with Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Craig Taylor, and Peter Rinato, faded to seventh after setting the pace in Saturday's nine-furlong Grade 2 Remsen won by Mo Donegal at the Big A.

The Unified juvenile, a $120,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, entered the Remsen from a prominent second to Mo Donegal in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on October 21 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Handal said Fromanothamutha earned his way into the Remsen.

“He looked like he was doing it pretty comfortably, I'd just chalk it up to him not liking the distance,” Handal said. “He was a maiden running in a Grade 2 but he was beaten a length to Mo Donegal going into it and Mo Donegal won the race, so I feel justified taking the shot in there.”

Handal said Fromanothamutha will look to clear the maiden condition before possibly taking a shot at the $300,000 G3 Gotham, a one-turn mile on March 5 at the Big A.

“He's a lovely colt and I think we'll just take him back to one-turn races,” Handal said. “I think I'll give him a two-week break and freshen him up and try and knock the maiden out and then look at something down the line like the Gotham.”

Merrylegs Farm's Thinking It Over, a 2-year-old daughter of Overanalyze bred in the Empire State by Merrylegs Farm North, garnered a 62 Beyer for a debut maiden score sprinting six furlongs in an off-the-turf state-bred maiden sprint on November 12 at Aqueduct.

“She was MTO that day and I thought it would take a really good New York-bred to beat her first time out,” Handal said. “When we got in off that spot, I thought she was going to be double tough.”

Handal said he would like to eventually target a state-bred stakes with Thinking It Over with the first opportunity being the Franklin Square, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies on January 15.

“We'll look towards the New York-bred stakes program through the winter with her, but I'd like to get her in a '1X' first,” Handal said.

Ken Russell and Richard Newman Racing's Foolish Ghost, a 6-year-old New York-bred son of Mineshaft, has posted a record of 37-9-7-5 for purse earnings of $462,122.

Handal said he's considering a number of options for the speedy gelding, who captured the 6 1/2-furlong John Morrissey in July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“We'll look towards an allowance race and get some confidence. He loves this track,” said Handal.

Foolish Ghost, who finished fourth last out in the Hudson on October 30 at Belmont, sports a record of 10-1-4-1 at the Big A.

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Awesome Debate, Sadie Lady Head Field For Union Avenue At Saratoga

Van Vranken Racing and NRB Racing Stable's Awesome Debate will look to make amends in her second start for trainer Bruce Brown in Thursday's $100,000 Union Avenue, a 6 1/2-furlong handicap on the main track for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Claimed for $45,000 out of a winning effort on July 18 at Saratoga, the 5-year-old Honorable Dillon grey went to post as the odds-on favorite last out in an optional-claiming sprint on August 9 at Finger Lakes. After being fractious in the gate, Awesome Debate broke in the air, stumbled, and trailed the field of five throughout.

“That wasn't how it was written up,” said Brown, with a laugh. “She was supposed to win by 10 in a gallop and then I was going to run her back in this race, but it didn't quite work out that way.

“It's just one of those things. Bad racing luck,” he continued. “She came out of it great. Coming back out of that race was going to be running her back pretty close, but she didn't really do a whole lot of running that day. It was a public workout more than anything.”

Brown said Awesome Debate was very professional when schooling at the gate Saturday at Saratoga.

“She didn't turn a hair….which figures,” Brown said.

Bred in New York by Charlton Baker, who trained her through her first 13 starts, Awesome Debate has posted a record of 15-7-3-1 with purse earnings of $267,577. She was claimed for $45,000 out of a runner-up effort in May at Belmont by Danny Gargan and returned July 18 with a stylish score in a six-furlong state-bred optional-claiming sprint contested on a sloppy and sealed main track.

Brown said he appreciated the mare's nose for the wire.

“She's been very consistent lately. I've always liked that group of higher-priced New York-bred claiming fillies and older mares,” Brown said. “If you can have a decent one of those that's usually a pretty good thing.”

With the speedy Sadie Lady likely to dictate terms Thursday, Brown said the often-prominent Awesome Debate may utilize different tactics while trying to win beyond six furlongs for the first time.

“She's very tactical,” Brown said. “When I claimed her, I thought she had the look of a pure speed horse, but that day she sat off it and then went on with it. I don't think six and a half [furlongs] will be a problem for her.”

Awesome Debate, assigned 119 pounds, will emerge from post 5 under Luis Saez.

Dennis Narlinger's graded stakes-placed Sadie Lady has won three of her last four starts dating back to a 2 1/2-length optional claiming win in December, sprinting six furlongs at Aqueduct Race Track in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The Rob Atras trainee, bred by JMJ Racing Stables, followed with a head score in the six-furlong Correction Stakes in March at the Big A against open company ahead of a game second in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Vagrancy in May at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Last out, the 5-year-old daughter of Freud made every call a winning one in the six-furlong Dancin Renee against fellow state-breds at Belmont.

Jose Ortiz retains the mount from the inside post as Sadie Lady, an eight-time winner from 20 starts, makes her Saratoga debut while carrying a field-high 124 pounds.

TLC Thoroughbreds homebred Hannah Dances is undefeated in four starts this campaign, all in sprint races at Finger Lakes, for trainer M. Anthony Ferraro.

The 4-year-old Shakin It Up grey, who will make her stakes debut while racing beyond six furlongs for the first time, boasts a record of 11-7-1-0 with purse earnings of $107,890.

Hannah Dances, carrying 118 pounds, will exit post 4 under Luis Perez.

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Trainer Ray Handal will saddle a formidable pair in stakes-placed Irish Constitution [post 3, Joel Rosario, 115 pounds] and eight-time winner Diva Banker [post 6, Dylan Davis, 116 pounds].

Perrine Time Thoroughbreds and West Paces Racing's Irish Constitution graduated on debut last July at Saratoga and followed with a distant fourth in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes. She completed her juvenile campaign with a runner-up effort in the Joseph A. Gimma in October at Belmont.

An optional-claiming winner in March at the Big A, the 3-year-old Constitution chestnut, bred by SF Bloodstock, was last seen finishing third – 5 1/2-lengths back of runner-up Awesome Debate – in a state-bred optional-claiming sprint on May 14.

The Handal-owned Diva Banker, a 5-year-old Central Banker mare bred by Jonath Meadean Inc., was claimed for $5,000 in January at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., and two starts later captured an open claiming sprint in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. She followed with an off-the-pace state-bred allowance score in June at Belmont, but failed to fire last out in a state-bred optional claimer on August 11 at the Spa.

Rounding out the field is Joseph G. McMahon, Anne McMahon and Albert Lewis' Lot of Honey, a 3-year-old daughter of Central Banker who graduated in an off-the-turf state-bred maiden special weight sprint in June at Belmont.

Trained by James Ferraro and bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, Lot of Honey, assigned 114 pounds, will exit post 2 under Manny Franco.

The Union Avenue is slated as Race 9 on Thursday's 10-race card. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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