Adam Coglianese Photo

Davy Crockett explores Listed $150K Central Park

by Christian Abdo

CHC Inc., Siena Farm and breeder WinStar Farm’s Davy Crockett will venture into the new frontier of stakes company in Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Central Park, a one-mile inner turf test for juveniles, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trainer Christophe Clement seeks back-to-back wins in the event after saddling Spirit Prince to win the past running. Davy Crockett [post 5, Joel Rosario] has made three starts at 1 1/16 miles on turf, graduating last-out by two lengths over Tiz Freedom on October 12 here under returning Hall of Fame rider Joel Rosario.

“He’s doing well. I like him. He won and broke his maiden nicely,” said Clement. “It is a little bit ambitious - it is a mile. I just hope we get a little bit of rain so the turf course is not too quick for next weekend, but I like him.”

In his August debut at Saratoga Race Course, the Constitution dark bay finished a close second to eventual stakes-placed Concord Green. He exited the career-best 70 Beyer Speed Figure performance to finish third, beaten three lengths by Barricade in a local September maiden tilt.

“He’s been improving physically and mentally. He is a lot more mature,” said Clement, adding that Davy Crockett breezed a half-mile in 50.23 seconds Saturday on the Belmont Park dirt training track. “He had a nice work with Joel. Joel rode him when he won and Joel rode him in his work yesterday. He knows the horse well so let’s go and see what happens.”

Out of the Grade 2-winning Gio Ponti mare America’s Tale, Davy Crockett was a $150,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Klaravich Stables’ Grade 2-placed Early Adopter [post 9, Flavien Prat] has endured some unluckiness in his two starts. Trained by four-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, the Lope de Vega chestnut was forced to check in the stretch of the Grade 2 Pilgrim on September 28 here, but came on again for third behind Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf contenders Zulu Kingdom [7th] and Noble Confessor [6th].

In his lone other start, Early Adopter won a 1 1/16-mile maiden in August at the Spa by a neck over Authentic Gallop, despite jockey Manny Franco losing his crop during the stretch drive. The British-bred Early Adopter, out of the Group 2-winning Dalakhani mare Silk Sari, was a $215,754 purchase at the 2023 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

Club Sixty Five Racing’s New York-bred Sounds Like a Plan [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] will try the stakes-level following a 2 1/4-length graduation going 1 1/16 miles versus state-breds on October 19 here. Trained by Horacio De Paz, the Twirling Candy bay set the pace to lead by as many as 6 1/2 lengths and held clear.

Sounds Like a Plan’s race went according to plan, as he added blinkers for the sharp score. He debuted in an off-the-turf one-turn mile here in September, finishing 4th-of-5 after hitting the gate at the start. That race was won by Aviator Gui, with second and third-place finishers Cyclone State and Hands of Time winning next-out.

Bred in the Empire State by Wildwood Farm, Sounds Like a Plan, out of the Speightstown mare Court Dress, was a $95,000 purchase at the 2023 January Keeneland Horses of All Ages Sale. His second dam is stakes-winner Well Dressed, who produced 2009 Group 1 Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed.

Trainer George Weaver will saddle a pair of New York-breds including stakes-placed Super Swift [post 10, John Velazquez] and maiden-winner Not for Hire [post 6, Jose Lezcano].

R. A. Hill Stable’s New York homebred Super Swift was a four-length second to Warheart in the local six-furlong Atlantic Beach on November 1 - earning a 75 Beyer in defeat. The Vekoma bay won a six-furlong off-the-turf maiden versus fellow state-breds in his September debut here.

Super Swift, out of the stakes-winning Warrior’s Reward mare Super Marina, will stretch out beyond six furlongs for the first time.

Windylea Farm’s New York homebred Not for Hire won a six-furlong state-bred turf maiden on October 27 in his lone start to date. The Not This Time dark bay drew off in hand en route to a five-length score under returning rider Jose Lezcano.

Out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare She’s a Truckin, Not for Hire was a $200,000 purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. His second dam is stakes-winner Avery Hall.

MyRacehorse and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Manhattan Twist [post 7, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] will make his turf debut off a troubled fifth last out in the seven-furlong state-bred Bertram F. Bongard on September 22 here.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the Liam’s Map colt broke outward from post 4 and bumped hard with Smilensaycheese before tracking from fifth position as mutuel favorite Sacrosanct dictated terms. Manhattan Twist was angled four-wide for the stretch run but failed to make up any ground.

The $150,000 weanling purchase at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale graduated on debut in August at Saratoga, wiring a 6 1/2-furlong state-bred maiden special weight by 1 3/4-lengths to garner a 70 Beyer.

Manhattan Twist is out of the dual stakes-placed Lemon Drop Kid mare Bitter Lemon, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winning turfer Blind Date.

Rounding out the field are maiden-winners McDiesel [post 1, Ruben Silvera] for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, Fire Pit [post 3, Mychel Sanchez] for conditioner Guadalupe Preciado, Jack and Jim [post 4, Manny Franco] for trainer Graham Motion, and Smooth Breeze [post 8, Dylan Davis] for conditioner Jorge Abreu.

Rock d’Oro is also-eligible for conditioner Ralph Beckett.

The Central Park is slated as Race 9 on Saturday’s 10-race card that also features the New York-bred $100,000 Notebook [Race 3]. First post is 11:40 a.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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