Trained by Jorge Abreu, the bay daughter of Flintshire enters off a closing second in the Grade 2 Sands Point on October 16 at Belmont Park, where she made up nearly six lengths from the first point of call to miss by a neck to Fluffy Socks.

Runaway Rumour captured her first three lifetime starts, all at Belmont Park. Following a triumph in a state-bred maiden going six furlongs over Belmont's inner turf in May, she defeated New York-bred winners going one mile on the Widener turf five weeks later. She made her stakes debut a winning one, when besting open company in the Wild Applause on June 26 at Belmont.

Abreu said he is hoping for firm footing for Sunday's race.

“I'm more concerned about the weather than anything else. We're supposed to get some rain,” Abreu said. “The horse is doing great though. She came out of her last race in really good shape and had a nice breeze at Belmont the other day. She doesn't need much done with her, she's a small horse.”

Runaway Rumour is out of the multiple stakes-placed Elusive Quality mare Elusive Rumour, who produced stakes-winner Myhartblongstodady who also is trained by Abreu.

Jose Lezcano returns to the irons aboard Runaway Rumour from post 11.

Trainer Graham Motion will be represented by a trio of fillies, including Michael Ryan, Jeff Drown and Team Hanley's Invincible Gal who arrives off a close fourth in the Glen Cove on October 15 at Belmont.

The five-time stakes-placed daughter of Invincible Spirit returns to Aqueduct for the first time since finishing a late-closing second in the Tepin in November 2020. She built on a productive juvenile campaign when picking up second-place finishes in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly on May 15 at Belmont Park and the Virginia Oaks two starts back on August 31 at Colonial Downs.

“She's obviously a very hard-knocking horse,” Motion said. “I'm a little torn with her. I'm almost leaning toward thinking she wants to go short, but she ran so well in the Virginia Oaks going a mile and an eighth.”

Invincible Gal will be piloted by Hall of Famer John Velazquez from post 10.

Earle I. Mack's Batyah will attempt to shake off 13 months' worth of rust when making her first start since finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Jessamine in October 2020 at Keeneland. The dark bay or brown daughter of Pioneerof the Nile displayed a devastating late kick on debut last September at Belmont, rallying from ten lengths off the pace in ninth to win by 2 ¼ lengths over the Widener turf.

“She's been ready to run for a while,” Motion said. “I entered her a few times and got a little unlucky with the weather and races coming off the grass, but from a fitness point she should be ready.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has the call from post 5.

Rounding out Motion's contingent is Fortune Racing's Bipartisanship who makes her North American stakes debut off a sharp maiden triumph over the Laurel Park turf on October 10. Following a third-place finish at Belmont in her first stateside start, the Bated Breath chestnut made up 13 lengths last out to win at sixth asking by 3 ¾ lengths.

Initially campaigned in Ireland, Bipartisanship earned black type when finishing third at 80-1 odds in the Group 3 Brownstown in July at Fairyhouse to Group 3 winner Pearls Galore, who finished sixth in last Saturday's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile.

“The first time I ran her at Belmont she just walked out of the gate but ran respectfully. I took her to Laurel and she won very comfortably that day,” Motion said. “I thought the effort warranted a try against stakes company. It's one of the last chances to run against straight 3-year-olds. She acts like she can be pretty useful.”

Jevian Toledo will retain the mount from post 8.

Gainesway Stable homebred White Frost will make her first start since January 30 when she captured the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant at Gulfstream Park over next out winners Con Lima and Domain Expertise.

The dark bay daughter of Candy Ride, out of stakes-winner Miss Frost, returns to the Big A for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott after breaking her maiden over the inner turf last November.

Breaking from post 6, White Frost will be ridden by Junior Alvarado.

Trainer Cherie DeVaux will saddle Lazy F Ranch homebred Gam's Mission, who has not raced since finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational on August 8. The Noble Mission bay captured the Grade 3 Regret on May 29 at Churchill Downs three starts back ahead of a close fourth in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational on July 10.

Luis Saez will ride from post 4.

Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle graded stakes winner Plum Ali, who boasts the highest field bankroll with $593,500.

The First Samurai chestnut captured Grade 2 Miss Grillo in her most recent victory. Despite being winless in six starts this season, Plum Ali garnered black type twice this year when finishing third in the Grade 2 Appalachian on April 3 at Keeneland and second in the Grade 3 Wonder Again on June 3 at Belmont Park. She arrives off a fifth beaten 1 ¾ lengths in the Grade 2 Sands Point.

Manny Franco will ride from post 3.

Completing the field are Quinevere [post 1, Kendrick Carmouche], Bleecker Street [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], Miss Dracarys [post 7, Dylan Davis], Out of Sorts [post 9, Jorge Vargas, Jr.], and Flown [post 12, Jose Ortiz].

The Winter Memories honors Phillips Racing Partnership's turf distaffer, who captured the Grade 1 Garden City Handicap in 2011 and the Grade 1 Diana the following year. The Jimmy Toner trained daughter of El Prado, out of fellow Grade 1-winning millionaire Memories of Silver, won seven graded stakes throughout her career and boasts earnings in excess of $1.2 million.
The Winter Memories is carded as Race 8 on Aqueduct's nine-race program. First post is 12:20 p.m.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

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From the opening strides of the 1 1/8-mile Sands Point, Higher Truth led the field of seven, controlling the pace with a one-length lead over Our Flash Drive. With fractions of :25.34 for the first quarter and :50.14 for the half-mile, the other Chad Brown trainee looked poised to take the race gate to wire. Behind her, Rosario held Fluffy Socks midpack, content to sit 4th or 5th until the stretch.

In the Belmont straight, Rosario took Fluffy Socks to the outside of front-runners Higher Truth and Our Flash Dive, with Runaway Rumour following. Fluffy Socks caught a tiring Higher Truth in the final sixteenth of a mile and then was able to hold off Runaway Rumour to win the G2 stakes by a neck.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.48. Find this race's chart here.

Fluffy Socks paid $10.20, $5.60, and $3.00. Runaway Rumour paid $10.80 and $4.30. Higher Truth paid $2.10.

Bred in Kentucky by owner Head of Plains Racing, Fluffy Socks is by Slumber (GB) out of the Kitten's Joy mare Breakfast Time. With her win in the G2 Sands Point, the 3-year-old filly has one win in five starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 10-4-3-1 and career earnings of $430,880.

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Trained by Jorge Abreu, the Flintshire bay captured the open-company Wild Applause traveling one-mile in June over the Belmont turf and followed with a pair of graded efforts at Saratoga Race Course, finishing fourth in the one-mile Grade 3 Lake George in July and second in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Lake Placid in August.

Runaway Rumour enters from a closing third in the one-mile Pebbles, an open-company test won by Spanish Loveaffair by 2 1/4-lengths over returning rival Jordan's Leo.

With Jose Lezcano up for the Pebbles from the outermost post 11, Runaway Rumor settled in ninth position before launching a five-wide rally in upper stretch to finish one length to Jordan's Leo.

“She shows up every time she runs and it's been against open [company],” Abreu said. “She always shows up. Last time, she was compromised with the post position in a big field of horses. She was maneuvering herself around there.”

Out of the Elusive Quality mare Elusive Rumour, Runaway Rumour is a half-sister to her multiple stakes-winning stablemate Myhartblongstodady – a 6-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy.

Abreu said the half-siblings are markedly different in demeanor.

“They have very different attitudes. Myhartblongstodady is a little tougher than she is,” Abreu said. “Runaway Rumour is doing great. She came out of her last race really well.”

Lezcano retains the mount from post 4.

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown has entered Fluffy Socks and Higher Truth in search of a fifth Sands Point win following scores with Ball Dancing [2014], Uni [2017], New and Improved [2019] and a year ago with Tamahere.

Head of Plains Partners' homebred Fluffy Socks won 3-of-5 juveniles starts, closing out her campaign with a half-length score in the one-mile Grade 3 Jimmy Durante over firm Del Mar turf.

The Kentucky-bred daughter of Slumber is in search of her first win this season having posted a record of 4-0-2-1, including a closing third last out on August 21 in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.

Brown said he expects Fluffy Socks to demonstrate her usual racing style after exiting post 7 under returning rider Joel Rosario.

“She's training quite well. She should show a late-closing turn of foot,” Brown said.

Michael Ryan, Jeff Drown and Team Hanley's multiple graded stakes placed Higher Truth, an Irish-bred daughter of Galileo, was unraced as a juvenile.

The talented bay graduated at second asking traveling 10 furlongs on the Belmont turf in April ahead of a 10-furlong allowance win at Belmont in June before hitting the board in all three legs of NYRA's Turf Triple series for fillies.

Higher Truth was a solid third in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational in July – a race that the winner, Santa Barbara, exited to win the Grade 1 Beverly D. at Arlington Park.

In August, Higher Truth finished a game second to Belmont Oaks runner-up Con Lima in the 1 3/16-mile Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational ahead of a pacesetting second last out in the 11-furlong Jockey Club Oaks Invitational.

Brown said Higher Truth won't have any issue negotiating nine furlongs.

“I think she'll be able to handle the cutback. She's been training well,” Brown said.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will step aboard for the first time from post 5.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Michael J. Caruso's Plum Ali made the grade with a 2 1/4-length score in last year's Grade 2 Miss Grillo traveling 1 1/16-miles on the Belmont turf.

Although winless in six starts since the Miss Grillo, Plum Ali has hit the board twice with a third in the one-mile Grade 2 Appalachian in April at Keeneland in her seasonal debut, which was followed by a closing second in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Wonder Again in June at Belmont.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the First Samurai chestnut enters from a wide-rallying fifth in the Pebbles.

Manny Franco picks up the mount from post 6.

StarLadies Racing's Jordan's Leo made her first four starts on dirt, including a second-out graduation in April sprinting six furlongs at Gulfstream Park.

Following an even third in a 1 1/16-mile allowance test against older company in June over Big Sandy, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher entered Jordan's Leo in a nine-furlong optional-claiming event on the Saratoga turf August 11 and the Malibu Moon bay responded with a prominent half-length score over next-out allowance winner Town Avenger.

“I wasn't sure she was a turf horse early on, so we gave her an opportunity on the dirt,” Pletcher said. “We breezed her on turf and she showed a little improvement. Her allowance win at Saratoga verified that.”

Jordan's Leo enters from a forwardly-placed second in the Pebbles.

“She has tactical speed so she can put herself in a good spot depending on the pace scenario,” Pletcher said.

Luis Saez has the call from post 2.

Rounding out the field are Our Flash Drive [post 8, Dylan Davis], a graded-stakes winner on Tapeta and turf at Woodbine for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse; Harajuku [post 3, Junior Alvarado], a Group 3-winner in France in May, who finished third last out in her North American debut in the Jockey Club Oaks; and Chiefswood Stables' homebred Third Draft [post 1, Javier Castellano], runner-up in the restricted Riskaverse in August at the Spa.

The Sands Point is slated as Race 6 on Saturday's 10-race card. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Spanish Loveaffair, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, entered the Pebbles off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Lake Placid on August 21 over a yielding turf at Saratoga, where she hit the gate at the start, stalked the pace from second, and came up empty in the stretch. On Saturday, the now three-time winner regained her triumphant form.

Breaking from post 10 under Junior Alvarado, Spanish Loveaffair rated a close third to the outside of Jordan's Leo, while Spirit of Bermuda commanded the field down the backstretch. Nearing the far turn, through a half-mile in :49.25, Spanish Loveaffair inched her way into second and leveled up to even terms with the pacesetter a few strides outside the quarter-pole.

Spirit of Bermuda dug in gamely in upper stretch, but ultimately gave way as Spanish Loveaffair drew off to a 2 ¼-length score in a final time of 1:35.82. Jordan's Leo finished second, one length ahead of Runaway Rumour in third.

Spanish Loveaffair earned her second career stakes victory after capturing the Sharp Susan in August 2020 on firm going at Gulfstream Park. She crossed the wire first in her seasonal bow in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on February 27 over firm footing at the South Florida oval, but was disqualified to fourth. She earned graded stakes black-type when finishing second in the Grade 2 Jessamine in October 2020 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., and the Grade 3 Regret on May 29 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Off at 30-1, Spanish Loveaffair rewarded her backers in $2 win payouts of $63.

The Pebbles was the first time Spanish Loveaffair had run over firm going since the Herecomesthebride.

“I thought with it being dry that she'd run well,” said Casse assistant Shane Tripp. “She's got enough speed to put herself in the race and Junior did a great job riding her. She's a miler through and through. I'm really proud of her.”

Alvarado said he was confident Spanish Loveaffair could outrun her odds.

“I couldn't believe the price,” Alvarado said. “I was talking with Shane and I thought we looked sneaky good in here. We weren't the favorite – I knew that for sure – but on paper she didn't look like a 30-1 shot.

“She ran great on firm turf at Gulfstream and today she got firm ground and ran very well,” Alvarado continued. “I was trying to hustle out of there because I didn't have a good post, so I had to try and get some position in the first part of the race. I followed in second and we were going pretty slow, so I wasn't in a rush at that point. I was taking my time to make sure I had enough horse to finish the race and she responded very well.”

Alvarado said the cutback in distance suited Spanish Loveaffair.

“A little turn back helped her for sure,” Alvarado said. “She's been running with tough company and she had a couple races where she didn't run that well, but it was soft turf. I had to hope with a little firmer turf she was going to run much better.”

Rounding out the order of finish were Our Flash Drive, Plum Ali, Spirit of Bermuda, Nazuna, Minaun, Third Draft, Keeper of Time, and Lovestruck.

Spanish Loveaffair enhanced her lifetime earnings to $236,590 after banking $55,000 in victory. The Karakontie bay's record now stands at 10-3-2-0. Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Spanish Loveaffair is out of the Unusual Heat mare Spanish Bunny, making her a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Spanish Queen. She was bought for $35,000 from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by her breeder.

Live racing resumes on Thursday with a nine-race card. First post is 2:05 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the fall 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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The 38th edition of the Lake Placid saw Technical Analysis build on her 1 1/4-length score in the one-mile Grade 3 Lake George over firm going on July 23 by relishing a yielding turf course. Breaking alertly from post 2 under jockey Jose Ortiz, the Irish-bred daughter of Kingman led the six-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in :24.68 and the half in :50.03 with Spanish Loveaffair in close pursuit.

Technical Analysis maintained the lead out of the final turn, swinging wide entering the top of the stretch but undeterred. Ortiz helped the pacesetter maintain her advantageous position, using right-handed encouragement that kept Technical Analysis to task. She drew away in the final furlong, completing the course in 1:46.49 in outkicking a charging Runaway Rumour.

“We knew there was no speed in there, so our options were limited,” Ortiz said. “We didn't want to get stuck being behind a slow pace. The turf was pretty soft, but this filly is bred in Ireland and she liked it. I've ridden her before on [good] turf and I knew she was going to handle it well. I knew it would be to our advantage.”

Trainer Chad Brown captured the Lake Placid for the third time in the last four runnings, while Technical Analysis won for the fourth time in six career starts and for the third time in four races as a 3-year-old.

“The more we work with this horse, she just keeps getting faster and stronger and bigger,” Brown said. “I can see that she's willing in her works and I just don't want to take anything away from her. Too often, we've been caught in these paceless races where sometimes we have the best horse and it blows up on you. So, if my horses have some speed, like this one, I'm going to send them out there.”

Technical Analysis returned $4.20 on a $2 win wager. She improved her career earnings to $298,200.

Brown compared Technical Analysis to Dayatthespa, who won the 2014 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in gate-to-wire fashion en route to Champion Grass Mare honors that year.

“This filly is starting to remind me of a nice horse we used to train named Dayatthespa and I told Jose that in the paddock,” Brown said. “She ended up being a champion horse for us down the road and as she got older, she showed a lot of speed and went to the lead. I can see a lot of similarities with this horse, so I'm not going to take anything away from her.

“She's a high-energy horse and my team has just done a fabulous job with her,” Brown added. “We've found a few things to sweeten her up and get along with her and it's really working.”

Lawrence Goichman's New York homebred Runaway Rumour, ridden by Jose Lezcano, bested Ego Trip by a half-length for runner-up honors. The Jorge Abreu trainee earned her first graded stakes placing after running a competitive fourth in the Lake George last month.

“She's a nice filly. She struggled today with the track, but she still tried very hard to run a good race,” Lezcano said. “Whenever I asked her, she kept on trying. The turf is very soft. My filly was never comfortable the whole way.”

Spanish Loveaffair, Illogami, and Lovestruck completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring the $120,000 Summer Colony, a nine-furlong main track event for older fillies and mares who have not won a graded stakes race in 2021. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

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“We're going in there getting her back to a mile and a sixteenth. She seems to be doing well,” trainer Chad Brown said. “We've always thought a lot of her.”

Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) thought she had secured her first graded victory earlier this year in Gulfstream's GIII Herecomesthebride S., but was disqualified and placed fourth for interference. A non-factor sixth after being nailed at the start of Keeneland's GII Appalachian S. Apr. 3, the bay was run down late, finishing a close second in Churchill's GIII Regret S. May 29. She was last seen fading to eighth in the 10-furlong GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. July 10 and this cut back in trip should suit her better.

Talented New York-bred Runaway Rumour (Flintshire {GB}) is certainly worth a look in here. A debut winner against fellow Empire-breds May 9, the bay rallied to victory in a state-bred allowance at Belmont June 5 and followed suit with a score against open company in the Wild Applause S. 21 days later. The Goichman homebred closed from well back to be fourth in this venue's Lake George last out.

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The victory was the first black-type stakes win of Cardenas' career, with the New York-bred Runaway Rumour facing open company for the first time and improving to 3-for-3 overall after besting the Chad Brown-trained favorite Minaun by a half-length.

Cardenas previously captured the $70,000 Peeping Tom Stakes with Gustavo Rodriguez and Andrew Gurdon's Ryan's Cat for trainer Rudy Rodriguez in March, a starter stakes on the New York Claiming Championship Day program at Aqueduct Racetrack.

After making the first three starts of his professional career in 2019, Cardenas became a regular in 2020, notching 41 wins to lead all apprentice riders on the highly competitive NYRA circuit.

Now a journeyman, Cardenas has been trying to assert himself in one of the world's major horseracing circuits. The native of Lima, Peru has amassed a 33-38-62 record in 440 mounts this year, compiling earnings of more than $2 million entering Sunday. With more than 1,000 career starts on his ledger, Cardenas earned a trip to the winner's circle in a six-figure stakes contest, marking the next step in a career that started when Cardenas worked as a groom and hotwalker at Monmouth Park.

“I couldn't believe it, to be honest,” Cardenas said with a smile. “I got in the car afterwards and I was so excited, but I was trying to keep my emotions together. But as soon as I drove back home, I was thinking about my family. I get strength from them. If you have a lot of faith, nothing can go wrong.

“Running down the stretch, I could hear everyone cheering and it got me pumped up. I'm pretty sure the horses sensed it too; they could feel the energy,” he added.

The 24-year-old Cardenas said he wanted to be a jockey from the time he was 6, and his career prospects improved when he moved to the United States at age 12. As he got older, Cardenas willingly traveled the country to make that dream a possibility. Besides his experience in New Jersey, Cardenas also went to South Carolina to work at the Webb Carroll Training Center before eventually returning to the metropolitan area, working in New York as an exercise rider for trainers Leah Gyarmati, Bruce Levine, and Randi Persaud among others.

“It's been a lot of work but I give thanks to everybody; my agent, P.J. Campo, the trainers, the jock's room, they all help me out. Everyone tries to help you out here,” Cardenas said. “Watching the replays has been really important. With Runaway Rumour, I watched the replays and she was fantastic, so I tried to imitate the way the jockeys rode her before, and it worked out very well.”

Cardenas' style has led to success, though this year has provided an additional challenge as he no longer has the five-pound bug. But the extra weight hasn't deterred Cardenas, who said he's just trying to use his preparation to continue the success he's enjoyed as an apprentice rider.

“The weight difference is a factor; I don't think five pounds is a lot, but it makes a difference,” Cardenas said. “Now that you're a journeyman, you have to prove you belong in here. There's a lot of ups and downs in this business, but my family keeps me together. I love this sport. It's my life. It's always what I wanted to do and I just want to keep moving forward.”

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Runaway Rumour, bred in New York, saw jockey Luis Cardenas pick up the mount from Jose Lezcano, and the duo broke from the outermost post and tracked in seventh position as Bye Bye led the eight-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in :22.79, the half in :47.28, and three-quarters in 1:11.69 on the firm turf.

Out of the final turn, Runaway Rumour was in sixth position with plenty of daylight in front of her. The Flintshire filly utilized a strong turn-of-foot to pick off rivals and sustain that momentum to the wire, completing the course in 1:34.25 with 6-5 favorite Minaun in second.

The Jorge Abreu trainee was unraced as a juvenile but broke her maiden going six furlongs on May 9 on the Belmont turf. She won again when stretched out to the Wild Applause distance in her previous start on June 5 and improved to 3-for-3 after capturing her stakes debut, increasing her career earnings to $140,250.

“I was a little concerned about the jockey change because I had never rode Luis in that type of race before, but he gave me so much confidence when I was giving him instructions,” Abreu said. “He told me he was looking at the replays and I knew it going to be OK. I told him, whatever you do, do not go on the inside.

“He broke sharp and tucked her in behind horses and he kept her in the clear,” Abreu added. “She likes to run free on the outside. When I saw at the five-sixteenths pole that she was picking up momentum, I had a pretty good feeling about her.”

Off at 13-1, Runaway Rumour returned $29 on a $2 win wager. Abreu said she will now target the one-mile $150,000 Grade 3 Lake George Stakes on July 23 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, Ny.

“Depending on how she comes out of the race, we'll look at the Lake George at Saratoga,” Abreu said. “I'd say a mile to a mile and a sixteenth is good for her. I don't want to stretch her out to a mile and an eighth or a mile and quarter. Time will tell.”

Cardenas said the pre-race instructions played out as the connections hoped.

“[Abreu] worked out the plan with me and we both agreed to just let her run her race,” Cardenas said. “She likes to be able to run horses down and that's what she did. She loves doing that and I love her, too.

“We popped out of the gate and let the speed go,” Cardenas continued. “We had a beautiful trip behind horses and when we started to move by the five-sixteenths pole, she responded really well.”

The Irish-bred Minaun, a Group 3 winner in her native country, won her North American debut on April 30 for trainer Chad Brown at Belmont and earned black type in her first stakes appearance in the country, besting stablemate Nevisian Sunrise by a half length for second.

“I gave her a turf trip,” said Minaun jockey Manny Franco. “I was inside and trying to work my way out to the clear at some point, but the winner got the jump. When the winner was coming, I was still trying to find my way out.”

Brown, who also saddled the favorite to a second-place finish in the previous race with Always Carina in the Grade 2 Mother Goose, said Minaun did not have the best trip and Nevisian Sunrise was rank at times.

“She [Minaun] had some traffic trouble,” Brown said. “My other horse ran well but she was in a fight with the jockey [Irad Ortiz, Jr.] for most of the race. It's tough for a horse to re-break again after being in a tussle for most of the race. For both horses, it just didn't work out the way I had hoped.”

Sussex Garden, Alda, Bubbles On Ice, Bye Bye, and Lovestruck completed the order of finish. Alwayz Late scratched.

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