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Sunday Girl takes talents to Saturday’s $125K NYSSS Staten Island

by Christian Abdo

Mitre Box Stable, Clear Stars Stable and Eighth Note Stable’s Sunday Girl seeks her second stakes win in Saturday’s $125,000 Staten Island division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible state-sired fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by David Duggan, the sophomore Central Banker chestnut is 3-for-4, including a three-length victory in the local 6 1/2-furlong NYSSS Park Avenue in April. She exited to finish a distant seventh in the state-bred Bouwerie in June during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course, but returned to win last-out there in a 5 1/2-furlong off-the-turf optional claimer versus fellow state-breds in July.

“As you improve the level, she’s kind of passed every test,” said Duggan. “We gave her a break after Saratoga because it was too tough, so it was the time to do that. Then you have a nice winter horse.”

Sunday Girl [post 2, Katie Davis] earned a career-best 73 Beyer Speed Figure for her last-out 1 1/2-length victory at the Spa, and she will look to improve off a four-month layoff in the Staten Island.

“It was fantastic. Winning those kinds of races is a huge bonus. We’ll get through this test and see what happens next,” said Duggan. “This is a good stepping stone, even though the seven-eighths is a bit of a question mark. I think she’s more mature right now and a little stronger. This is the right time to try stakes again.”

Bred in New York by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds and Spruce Lane Farm, Sunday Girl, out of the winning Harlan’s Holiday mare Lady Daphne, was a $100,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

Duggan will also send out Anthony R. Pettograsso’s dual stakes-placed New York homebred Lisa’s Vision [post 5, Romero Maragh]. The 5-year-old Laoban dark bay won a local six-furlong allowance on turf versus open company on November 14 and will return on short rest.

“This is kind of a knee jerk reaction after her last race. There are not a whole lot of options for Lisa’s Vision, so we said if she came out of it in good shape, we’ll take a chance, which she did,” said Duggan.

Lisa’s Vision holds a 5-1-1-0 record this year, including a runner-up finish in the state-bred Port Washington going 1 1/16 miles on turf in July at Belmont at the Big A. Her prior 14 outings were for trainer Jorge Abreu, including a third in last year’s running of the Staten Island won by Morning Matcha.

About her preferred surface, Duggan said, “It is hard to know. It is hard to give you a straight answer. This is just an opportunity with the race and the availability, and she’s come out very well so that is why we are rotating her back quickly.”

Shea D Boy’s Stable’s My Shea D Lady [post 6, Javier Castellano] has won two Stallion Series events, including the seven-furlong $500,000 Fifth Avenue in December at the Big A and the off-the-turf $150,000 Statue of Liberty going one-mile in July at the Spa.

Trained by Carlos David, the sophomore Solomini dark bay enters from a fifth in an open optional-claimer for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on October 19 here. The nine-furlong event marked My Shea D Lady’s first non-stakes start in her past eight outings dating to a debut graduation in July 2023 at Gulfstream Park.

Bred in the Empire State by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, My Shea D Lady, a $100,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, is out of the Teuflesberg mare Ladyberg, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Hoosick Falls and stakes-placed Manor Prospect.

Peter Kazamias’ Athena Beach [post 7, Jose Gomez] makes her second career stakes start after a pacesetting fifth in the state-bred Iroquois sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on October 27 at Belmont at the Big A. Trained by Dimitrios Synnefias, the Bank Heist chestnut hit the board in her other five starts this year, winning a pair of local state-bred six-furlong sprints in September and April.

Bred in New York by Kaz Hill Farm, Athena Beach is out of the Tapit mare Beach, making her second dam multiple stakes-winner Starfish Bay.

John Witte, Morris Kernan, Jr., and trainer Jamie Ness’ Brown Suga Babe [post 4, Ruben Silvera] has won three of her last four races, including a one-turn mile optional-claimer for New York-breds last-out on November 7 here. The sophomore Solomini bay earned a career-best 82 Beyer for the 2 3/4-length victory, and now steps into stakes company for the second time in her 21st outing.

Bred in New York by 3C Stables, Brown Suga Babe is out of the Indian Charlie mare Itsmyhonor.

Rounding out the field is stakes-winner Golden Rocket [post 1, Manny Franco] for conditioner Ilkay Kantarmaci and 10-time winner Khali Magic [post 3, Jose Lezcano] for trainer Jimmy Ferraro.

The Staten Island is slated as Race 7 on Saturday’s nine-race program that co-features the $125,000 NYSSS Thunder Rumble in Race 8. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.

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

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