Miles D Possible for Saudi Trip

Peter Brant and Robert LaPenta's Miles D (Curlin) may have earned a trip to the G1 Saudi Cup in February with his victory in Saturday's Discovery S. at Aqueduct.

“I'm not one to send my horses to other continents to run. I like to stick to my circuits. But that race has been on my mind with the right style of horse,” trainer Chad Brown said. “This might be the kind of horse that fits for me trying one of those races. Although he's had a couple of hard races, he is lightly raced. If you look at his record, he hasn't had that many starts. He didn't have to do battle in the Triple Crown, and he doesn't have a ton of miles on him.”

Miles D was second in the Curlin S. and third in the GI Runhappy Travers S. over the summer at Saratoga and took a Belmont allowance in October before winning his first stakes race Saturday in his sixth career start.

Brown said Miles D was unlikely to target the Jan. 29 GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream where he would face Breeders' Cup winners Knicks Go (Paynter) and Life is Good (Into Mischief).

“I have to talk to the owners about it. I'm not really sure,” Brown said. “I'm not so much interested in the Pegasus against those two horses. I'll get him down there and see. There's definitely a pace scenario to consider as well. If I race in big races in the wintertime, it's horses that are lightly raced. With horses that have had long campaigns, I don't care how much money they offer me at any track. I don't really run them too much. This horse, there's a possibility that we keep on going with him.”

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Thursday’s Insights: Unbeaten Nicky the Vest Returns at the Big A

3rd-AQU, $74k, OC45k/N2X, (S), 3yo/up, 1m, post tme: 1:19 p.m. ET

NICKY THE VEST (Runhappy), sidelined since running his record to a perfect two-for-two with a runaway score versus state-breds in the Gander S. Feb. 14, returns to action at the Big A Thursday. The New York-bred, forced to miss the GII Wood Memorial S. due to a knee chip, faces seven rivals in a state-bred optional claimer with first-time Lasix in his comebacker. Both of his previous wins came over this same track and trip.

“He had trained like a very good horse and he backed it up in his races. We were fortunate to win with him in his only two starts,” trainer Jonathan Thomas said. “The timing of the injury was unfortunate, but he's well-represented with his owners Mr. LaPenta and Mr. Kumin, who wanted to do right by the horse.”

TJCIS PPs

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Two-For-Two Nicky The Vest Returns From Nine-Month Layoff Next Week At Aqueduct

Robert LaPenta and Sol Kumin's Nicky the Vest, a New York-bred sophomore son of Runhappy, is slated to make his return next week at Aqueduct Racetrack in what will be his first start in nine months after having to skip the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino due to a knee chip.

Nicky the Vest is undefeated in two career starts – both against fellow state-breds going a one-turn mile at the Big A – graduating on debut in December ahead of an 11 3/4-length score in the Gander in February.

Trainer Jonathan Thomas said the bay colt, who posted a half-mile breeze in 50.80 seconds Friday morning over the Belmont dirt training track, will be entered in a state-bred allowance.

“He had trained like a very good horse and he backed it up in his races. We were fortunate to win with him in his only two starts,” Thomas said. “The timing of the injury was unfortunate but he's well-represented with his owners Mr. LaPenta and Mr. Kumin, who wanted to do right by the horse.”

The bay colt was marking his ninth local breeze this morning dating back to September 19.

“He was sent to Ocala to Niall Brennan who did a wonderful job with him and the horse has come back and trained well. We're looking forward to getting him back,” Thomas said. “He had a nice little move this morning and it went really well.”

Thomas said Nicky the Vest had trained well into what would have been his two-turn debut in April in the Wood Memorial, a key prep for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

“At that stage of his career against 3-year-olds, we certainly felt bullish enough about his ability to try it,” Thomas said. “As time goes on, some of these horses really identify themselves as true two-turn horses but I don't know yet. He might be a nice one-turn mile horse and if that's the case that's fine also.”

Bred by Highclere, Nicky the Vest, a half-sibling to stakes winner Moms Choice, is out of the Cat Thief mare Tazarine.

Augustin Stable's stakes placed Experienced [post 1, Manny Franco] is entered in Race 3 on Sunday at Aqueduct, an 11-furlong turf allowance for 3-year-olds and up. By Temple City, he is out of the Nureyev mare No Matter What who captured the 2000 Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks at nine furlongs on turf for Augustin Stable.

The well-related sophomore gelding is a half-sibling to graded-stakes winners Utley, Rainbow View, Winter View and Just as Well.

A nose winner on debut traveling one mile and 70 yards over the Delaware Park turf, Experienced followed with a closing second in the 12-furlong Bald Eagle Derby in July at Pimlico. He enters off a more than two-month layoff from a fifth-place finish in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Virginia Derby in August at Colonial Downs.

“He's training well. I love the post for him drawing the rail and getting the opportunity to save all the ground,” Thomas said. “There's limited opportunities, especially in the allowance ranks, to run horses this long. I feel the further he goes the better and we're looking forward to getting him started.”

McConnell Racing Stable's War Terminator [post 9, Manny Franco], a sophomore son of War Dancer, returns from a six-month layoff in Race 7 here on Sunday, a six-furlong turf sprint for state-breds 3-year-olds and up.

A state-bred maiden winner at first asking sprinting six furlongs over yielding Big A turf in April, War Terminator followed with a close second in a seven-furlong allowance sprint for New York-breds over firm Belmont turf on May 1 that garnered an 80 Beyer.

“He's come back pretty well. We've been able to get a couple of nice works under his belt,” Thomas said. “It's unfortunate that we're on the upswing with him at this time of year with the turf season coming to an end – especially as a New York-bred. But we're happy to be in the entry box and in with a shot.”

Thomas said recent stakes competitors Benbang and Bay Storm are likely to be freshened now with an eye to a return to stakes action in the New Year.

Bridlewood Farm's Bay Storm, a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Kantharos, won the six-furlong Christiecat in September over firm going at Belmont and followed with a close second in the seven-furlong Glen Cove on October 15.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Benbang, a 2-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Shanghai Bobby, graduated on debut in an off-the-turf maiden tilt over a sloppy and sealed Saratoga main track and followed with an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Spinaway.

Last out, the talented bay was a game fourth in the Stewart Manor, defeated less than a length by the victorious Mystic Eyes in the six-furlong turf sprint on November 6 at Belmont.

“We're getting to the end of the season and they'll get a rest now to come back,” Thomas said. “Bay Storm ran great both times at Belmont. It was probably a little longer than she wanted to run last time with a hot pace, but we were so proud of her.

“Benbang was a little green on us in the lane last out and was getting in and she cost herself a place,” Thomas added. “But there was a stride or two where I thought she'd get up to win. I think backing her up in trip to 5 1/2 furlongs, especially at Saratoga next year, she'd be pretty adept.”

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Shantisara, Technical Analysis In Good Shape After Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup

It may have been a different week, but the upbeat sounds of success still reverberated at the Chad Brown barn.

Shantisara (IRE) and Technical Analysis (IRE) provided the barn with its second consecutive Grade 1 exacta sweep with their 1-2 finish in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup presented by Dixiana on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

“Those are two nice fillies, and they are in good shape this morning,” said Baldo Hernandez, who is overseeing the Brown string at Keeneland. “They may be going back to New York tomorrow.”

Shantisara, owned by the partnership of Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Robert LaPenta, surged to a record-setting five-length victory over Klaravich Stables' Technical Analysis.

The previous week, the Brown-trained duo of Blowout (GB) and Regal Glory ran 1-2 in the Grade 1 First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare for owner Peter Brant.

Hernandez said Blowout and Regal Glory also would be heading back to New York with the Queen Elizabeth II runners.

Flavien Prat rode both Grade 1 winners with Jose Ortiz finishing second in both races. Prat will attempt to double up for Brown this afternoon at Woodbine when he rides Kalifornia Queen (GER) in the $600,000 Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine Race Track in Toronto, Ontario.

Trainer Brad Cox was pleased with the third-place effort of Michael De Broglio's Burning Ambition in the filly's graded stakes debut.

“I have no idea what I am going to do with her next since there is obviously no turf racing in Kentucky for a while,” Cox said. “Possibly the ($300,000) American Oaks (G1 at 1¼ miles on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita).”

Eclipse Thoroughbreds and TOLO Thoroughbreds' Queen Goddess, who finished fifth in her stakes debut, will train at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., the next couple of weeks and then ship to California, trainer Michael McCarthy said via text.

Harris Farms' Closing Remarks, sixth on Saturday, was scheduled to return to trainer Carla Gaines' base at Santa Anita on Tuesday.

James Wigan's Cloudy Dawn (IRE), seventh in her U.S. debut for trainer William Haggas, was scheduled to ship back to Europe on Monday, according to head lad Suraj Bissessur.

Watts Humphrey Jr.'s Flippant is scheduled for a 2-3 month break following her eighth-place finish, according to Phil Oliver, husband of trainer Vicki Oliver.

Leaving for Europe today was Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith's Empress Josephine (IRE), who finished ninth as the favorite.

“The lack of cover early in the race didn't help her,” said Kieran Murphy, who has overseen the filly's training at Keeneland for Aidan O'Brien. “It was tough to come back that quick from what was a tough race last week for her (in the First Lady in which she was third).”

Murphy also said Katsumi Yoshida's Nicest (IRE), who finished fourth for trainer Donnacha O'Brien, would not be leaving Sunday with plans to be determined.

Charles Fipke's undefeated Lady Speightspeare, who was scratched at the starting gate prior to the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana, is scheduled to return to Woodbine on Monday.

“She's OK this morning. It's just disappointing to come all this way and not run,” said Ally Walker, assistant to trainer Roger Attfield. “She has a bit of a wild side, and yesterday she reared up four times in the gate and then tried to lay down.”

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