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Toxic Gray looks dangerous in Listed $150K Gravesend

by Christian Abdo

Christopher A. Borducci’s Toxic Gray steps into stakes company for the first time and is a dangerous contender in the Listed $150,000 Gravesend, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, on Saturday, December 28, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Michael Miceli, the 4-year-old Verrazano gray enters from a pacesetting 3 1/2-length allowance score over next Saturday’s course and distance on November 16. He was hustled to the front by returning rider Jose Lezcano and turned away the bid of reopposing Tivy in the final furlong to stop the clock in 1:10 flat.

The performance earned a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure, improving upon a previous best of 93 earned in his prior start when defeated three-quarter-lengths by dual Grade 3-placed and co-featured $100,000 Alex M. Robb-entrant El Grande O when setting the pace in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance on October 24 here.

“Before, he used to generally come from off the pace,” said Miceli. “He wasn’t one to come from way back, but he would sit off the lead a little bit and make a run at them. Two starts ago, he broke in front and Lezcano took advantage of it. It looks like a new avenue for him but it works well.”

Toxic Gray [post 5, Jose Lezcano] debuted for trainer Nestor Cascallares in December 2022 at Tampa Bay Downs before Miceli saddled him to a second-out graduation the following February and an optional-claiming win that March – both sprinting six furlongs at the Big A.

Toxic Gray returned from an over one-year layoff after the pair of early sophomore scores with a trio of starts for trainer Edward Plesa, Jr. this spring at Gulfstream Park. He made his first start back with Miceli when off the board in July at the Big A ahead of a misfire when trying turf for the first time in September here.

“He was a horse that had some issues and we had to give him some time. We gave him plenty of time and then he wound up in South Florida. After he ran a few times there, the owner decided to send him back to New York,” said Miceli. “He is by Verrazano and the dam ran on turf, I figured let me get trying turf out of the way in September and he ran subpar.

“We ran him back on dirt and he was second, then he ran that bang up race and won,” Miceli continued.

Bred in Kentucky by Carolyn Vogel, Toxic Gray, a $13,000 purchase at the 2021 OBS October Yearling Sale, is out of the Speightstown mare Reggae Song, making his second dam stakes-winner Queen of Song.

LC Racing, Cash is King and Wellesley Stable’s Maximus Meridius [post 4, John Velazquez] finished second last out in the six-furlong Steel Valley Sprint on November 25 at Mahoning Valley Race Course for trainer Butch Reid, Jr., who sits at 991 career wins as of December 18.

The sophomore Maximus Mischief gelding stalked the pace in fifth position after exiting the inside post, before angling out late to land 1 1/4 lengths back of Valentine Candy, who got the jump on him in the stretch.

“He had a little bit of a tough trip. He was blocked through the lane and then finished up real strong,” Reid, Jr. said. “He was kind of stuck on the rail most of the trip and made his way out in the lane to finish well. We were happy with that effort. We decided to go ahead and take a shot in the Gravesend.”

The runner-up finish earned a career-best 95 Beyer - marking his third consecutive 90 plus figure after a fourth in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob and an optional claiming win, both six-furlong races at Parx Racing.

“The horse has just been getting better and better. We’re learning about him, too - he likes a little something to run at,” said Reid, Jr. “He has a lot of natural speed so he was getting on the lead in some of his earlier races, but he was hanging and waiting on horses. We’ve learned you are better off sitting off a little bit, he likes making a run with a target in front of him.”

Maximus Meridius also finished second in a pair of local Listed sprints, including the Bay Shore in April and Gold Fever in May. He looks for his first stakes win in his 13th career start, also finishing second in the Salvatore M. DeBunda Sprint in August at Parx.

Michael Dubb’s graded stakes-placed Top Gunner [post 6, Manny Franco] enters from a third last out in the six-furlong Listed Fall Highweight on November 29 here. Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the 7-year-old Into Mischief gelding won the Parx Sprint in September at its namesake course ahead of a fifth when pressing the pace in the local Grade 3 Bold Ruler in October here.

“He’s got some back class, and it was nice for him to jump up and get the stakes win at Parx. He threw in a clunker in the race after with an out-of-his-element type of race going to the lead like that, but it was good to see him bounce back off of that,” said Cox’s New York assistant Dustin Dugas. “He bounced out of his last race in really good shape and threw in a good race there.”

Top Gunner, who was haltered for $62,500 out of a third-place effort in August at the Spa, boasts a record of 32-7-5-9 with $616,979 in earnings. His career highlights include a third in the 2022 Grade 2 Phoenix at Keeneland and a win that year in the restricted St. Matthews Overnight at Churchill Downs.

Karen A. Zimmerman’s Runninsonofagun [post 3, Joel Rosario] was second last out, defeated three-quarter-lengths by Giant Mischief in the Fall Highweight, but 3 1/2 lengths in front of the aforementioned Top Gunner in third. Trained by John Toscano, Jr., the 5-year-old Gun Runner gelding attended the pace while carrying a co-field high 133 pounds.

Runninsonofagun, who was third in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at Saratoga Race Course as a sophomore, captured the Grade 3 Bold Ruler via disqualification on October 26 here - marking the second time he won the event after also winning the 2022 edition.

Bred in Kentucky by Dattt Farm, Runninsonofagun, out of the dual stakes-placed Malibu Moon mare Golden Artemis, is a half-brother to Grade 1-winner My Conquestadory.

Jay Em Ess Stable’s Grade 3-placed Kentucky homebred Full Moon Madness [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche] is 2-for-2 this year with a last-out head score in a local six-furlong optional claimer on November 24. Trained by Michelle Nevin, the 4-year-old Into Mischief gelding was racing for the first time since a 4 1/2-length allowance score in January here - both wins coming over the Gravesend course and distance.

Full Moon Madness was a close second in the Grade 3 Nashua as a juvenile at the Big A and was a well-regarded prospect out of multiple graded stakes-winner By the Moon. By the Moon was campaigned by Nevin and Jay Em Ess Stable to Grade 1 wins in the 2017 Ballerina at Saratoga Race Course and 2014 Frizette at Belmont Park.

Rounding out the field are dual Grade 3-placed Twenty Four Mamba [post 7, Dylan Davis] for trainer Charlton Baker; and two-time winner Tivy [post 1, Romero Maragh] for trainer Jena Antonucci, who holds a 16-for-21 on-the-board record and looks to avenge the aforementioned last-out defeat to Toxic Gray.

The Gravesend is slated as Race 3 on the nine-race card on Saturday, December 28, which also features the $100,000 Alex M. Robb 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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