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Russell Brings Wondrwherecraigis To Saratoga In Search Of First Stakes Win

Four-time winner Wondrwherecraigis will attempt to secure his first career stakes score in Friday's eighth running of the $120,000 Tale of the Cat at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Brittany Russell, Wondrwherecraigis enters the six-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up who have not won a graded race in 2021 from a 5 3/4-length optional claiming score on July 18 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The 4-year-old dark bay or brown son of Munnings, who garnered a 102 Beyer Speed Figure in his most recent effort, returns to stakes company on the NYRA circuit after being disqualified from second to third in the Gold Fever in July 2020 at Belmont Park ahead of finishing fourth behind three next-out winners in the Grade 2 Amsterdam last August at Saratoga.

Wondrwherecraigis is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables.

“It was a big race. He's doing really well,” said Russell. “We figured we would take a look. It looks like the race will set up for him, so we're shipping him up and giving him a chance.”

Jockey Sheldon Russell will ride from post 5.

Trainer Ray Handal will saddle last-out stakes winner Foolish Ghost, who defeated his New York-bred counterparts in the John Morrissey on July 29. The son of Mineshaft was claimed by Handal and owner Ken Russell and Richard Newman Racing last August and has since won four times for his current trainer.

“He's doing well,” Handal said. “There aren't too many sprints for him in the northeast area. On his best day, he can run with some of the good ones, so we'll see.”

Jockey Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 6.

Daniel Alonso's Wind of Change arrives at the Tale of the Cat off a sharp win in the Mr. Prospector on May 29 at Monmouth Park for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. The Brazilian-bred Forestry bay seeks his sixth stakes victory, which include four triumphs at such level in his native land.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will ride from post 4.

My Boy Tate will seek a sixth stakes victory for Little Red Feather Racing and trainer, breeder, and co-owner Michelle Nevin. The 7-year-old son of Boys At Tosconova was second in the 2018 and 2020 Tale of the Cat.

Breaking from post 1, My Boy Tate will be ridden by Manny Franco.

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Multiple stakes-winner Bon Raison [post 3, Jorge Vargas, Jr.] seeks a non-consecutive win in the Tale of the Cat, previously scoring in 2019. Trained by Jack Sisterson, Bon Raison brags the highest bankroll in the field with $685,874.

Completing the field is David Bernsen's Shashashakemeup [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], a four-time winner for trainer Peter Walder.

The Tale of the Cat is carded as Race 9 on Friday's 10-race program at Saratoga Race Course. First post is 1:05 p.m. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 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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Handal: Cicada Winner Just Read It Still Has Room To Improve

Just Read It took the next step in her career on Saturday, capitalizing on a forwardly placed trip behind the favorite Save before taking command in the stretch and holding off a charging Exogen by a head in the $100,000 Cicada for sophomore fillies at Aqueduct.

The lightly raced Just Read It was making just her fourth career start and second stakes appearance earning a 73 Beyer for her first stakes black type effort. The Constitution filly made her debut on December 20, running fourth at the Big A, before breaking her maiden at the same six-furlong distance at the Ozone Park, N.Y., track, registering a 6 1/4-length score on January 31.

After finishing a dull sixth over the all-weather surface at Turfway Park in the Cincinnati Trophy on February 26, trainer Ray Handal moved Just Read It back to the more familiar dirt, where she looked comfortable yesterday in besting a four-horse field.

“She was bright-eyed and alert looking for her morning feed,” Handal said with a laugh. “She's a keeper. She's quiet and trains the right way and does it all the right way. In that aspect, I'm very lucky. She checked another box. We don't have anything set just yet for her, but we'll probably keep her sprinting in the 3-year-old filly-stakes division and preferably here in New York so we can stay home.”

Just Read It, purchased for $70,000 at last year's Ocala Breeders July 2-Year-Old Sale, is owned by Handal, Ken Russell and Brown Road Racing. She had been training at Saratoga in the summer before being shipped to her current base at Belmont Park before making her debut.

“We've seen progress but I don't think we've seen her best yet,” Handal said. “I still think there's room for improvement and she'll continue to improve. She went through such a growth spurt. It's crazy; she keeps getting bigger. I couldn't believe when she got off the van how much bigger she got, and hopefully she keeps on developing like that. With a four or five-week break between races, maybe she can be even better.”

Jockey Dylan Davis piloted Just Read It to victory in the third race, adding another highlight to a strong meet that unfortunately came to an abrupt end in the ninth-race finale when Davis broke his clavicle in a spill and will be out six-to-eight weeks.

Davis had ridden multiple winners for Handal during the current Aqueduct winter meet, adding victories aboard American Gentleman, Shamrocked and Dealing Justice.

“It's so unfortunate; he's a tough guy and a tenacious jockey,” Handal said. “He has a high racing IQ and great decision making and awareness. It really stands out to me when watching races. He can slow down the game so much. I just hope he comes back well and I'll go visit him in a few days when the dust settles and just check on him and keep his spirits up. This is the time of the year when everyone is getting cranked up. I told Mike Migliore, [Davis' agent] to not worry and he'll be part of the rotation here when he comes back.”

Foolish Ghost earned the highest Beyer of his 30-race career when he garnered a 94 for his six-length route against allowance company going six furlongs on March 7 at the Big A. Handal said the 6-year-old Mineshaft gelding will return to Aqueduct in a couple of weeks

“I'll probably run him in a [second-level allowance] on April 2,” Handal said. “He's really fast and I think he's going to keep getting better. I told the owner after I ran him the first time that I think we can win stakes races with this horses. We'll find some spots for him down the road. Right now, I'll just run him against New York breds in these conditions and figure it out from there.”

Foolish Ghost, who made his debut in 2017, is 7-6-4 with earnings of $333,802 but has not started in a stakes yet. He was bred in New York by Pinnacle Farms and is owned by Ken Russell and Richard Newman Racing.

“He looks like he's in the prime of his career. He's impressive to look at and very imposing,” Handal said.

Perrine Time Thoroughbreds' Kansas Kis is doing well one week after running third in the six-furlong Correction at Aqueduct. The 4-year-old daughter of Constitution, who was making her first stakes appearance in 10 months, is 1-1-2 in her last four starts, compiling a consistent record of 2-4-4 in 13 career races dating to her third-place debut in August 2019 at the Spa.

Kansas Kis could be on target for the Grade 3, $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap on May 8 at Belmont, with Handal saying she could make another tune-up start before taking the step up in class.

“She's doing great. She's a tough cookie,” Handal said. “I was going to give her a refresher before that. We'll revisit it. The Vagrancy is the target but I may start her once before that. She's been running pretty regularly and pretty hard for the winter now, so I don't want to beat her up for the year. But if we can get this race in, it could be nice spacing into that stakes race.”

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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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After Easy Goer ‘Walk In The Park,’ Handal May Wheel Celtic Striker Back In July 16 Peter Pan

Trainer Ray Handal reported that all was well with Celtic Striker the morning after a 19 3/4-length romp in Thursday's Easy Goer, which scratched down to a field of two at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The newly minted stakes victor earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure for the triumph and Handal said Celtic Striker's next start could take place in the Grade 3, $100,000 Peter Pan on July 16 at Saratoga Race Course.

“He's looking really good. Came back like it was just a walk in a park,” Handal said. “He ran though. It wasn't like he went around there and galloped. He didn't just canter around there. He performed. He ran hard.”

Normally contested at Belmont Park, the Peter Pan, a 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds, found a home at The Spa for this year's summer meet following a readjustment to the stakes schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it offers the Top 4 finishers 50-20-10-5 qualifying points towards the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby on Sept 5 at Churchill Downs.

“It's a little sooner than I want to but the way he came out of it that's the short term goal,” said Handel who also offered the Grade 2, $150,000 Jim Dandy on September 5 at Saratoga as another possibility.

Celtic Striker, bred in Kentucky by Stoneview Farm and Craig D. Upham, scored a third lifetime victory in seven starts in the Easy Goer. Two starts after a second-out graduation at Monmouth Park in October, he defeated winners at Parx Racing. He was purchased for $100,000 from the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Celtic Striker's win in the Easy Goer marked the first match race on the NYRA circuit since Painted Poney topped Epiphany in a claiming sprint on January 29, 2015 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Handal also said stakes-placed Kansas Kis, second to Water White in the March 7 Busher Invitational at Aqueduct, will receive a freshening in preparation for a campaign during the second half of the year.

“She's been running hard. She just needed some time off, so we gave her 60 days and we'll look for a big second half of the year with her,” Handal said.

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