Adam Coglianese Photo

Kant Hurry Love can’t be passed in $135K Garland of Roses

by Christian Abdo

Ken Wheeler, Jr.'s New York-bred Kant Hurry Love returned from a nearly six-month layoff to best open company and notch her third career stakes win in Sunday’s $135,000 Garland of Roses, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by David Duggan, the 5-year-old Kantharos bay had not raced since a pacesetting three-quarter-length victory in the state-bred six-furlong Dancin Renee on June 23 here. Kant Hurry Love showed no signs of rust on Sunday as she led from gate-to-wire to notch a neck win - earning a third stakes score to go along with the past two editions of the Dancin Renee and avenging a neck defeat to Hot Fudge in this event last year.

“She's as tough as old boots. If you had half of them that had her heart, you'd be doing well,” said Duggan. "If you had 10 of these, you wouldn't have to work a day in your life."

Piloted by Romero Maragh, Kant Hurry Love was a bit reluctant to load but once in the gate, she broke swiftly from the outermost post 6. Kant Hurry Love, sporting blinkers for her second consecutive race, led through a sharp opening quarter-mile in 22.77 seconds on the fast dirt while tracked by Autumn Evening.

“She broke very sharp. She was a little erratic going in the gate, but once she got into the gate, she settled and we broke very clean,” Maragh said. “The break was it for her, because once she broke so well, I was able to establish a good lead and then she settled in very nicely.”

Maragh sat patiently aboard Kant Hurry Love into the turn as Autumn Evening drew alongside to be within a head and Ain’t Broke gained on Cara’s Time and Captainsdaughter with a wide move from fifth position. Autumn Evening appeared poised to go by Kant Hurry Love at the top of the lane, but Maragh roused his charge on the inside and the mare responded after a half-mile in 46.15.

Kant Hurry Love put away Autumn Evening approaching the eighth pole and it was a matter of holding off the Eric Cancel-piloted Ain’t Broke as she closed powerfully down the center of the course with five-eighths down in 58.03.

Kant Hurry Love looked her challenger in the eye and maintained a neck in front, notching the game victory in a final time of 1:10.32.

It was two lengths back to Autumn Evening who held third by a neck over Cara’s Time, with uninvolved favorite Mystic Pleasure and Captainsdaughter completing the order of finish. Ellen Jay and St. Benedicts Prep were scratched.

Maragh said he was impressed with Kant Hurry Love’s condition off the bench.

“She dug in a lot in the stretch. She was just so game and she fought on fiercely. The whole way, she was really just dragging me around there, but she was doing it very comfortable. They did a phenomenal job coming off of a six-month layoff,” said Maragh. “She didn’t get tired, so that’s just an amazing feeling, especially [since] you don’t see that a lot with horses coming off of a six-month layoff to show so much speed and then finish up the way that she did.”

Duggan said he knew that Kant Hurry Love was fit despite the post Dancin Renee title defense respite.

“I was quietly confident because we never really lost time with her. After Saratoga when she came up lame, we sent her out and swam her for about a month, so she never had any downtime,” Duggan said. “We kept her ticking over when she got back. She worked about three works ago and worked very, very good and I knew I was on target.”

Cancel said the Linda Rice-trained Ain’t Broke was game in defeat.

“This filly, I really love her a lot. She’s always on her ‘A’ game, and today everything set up perfect for her. It was just unfortunate that the other horse just had a little bit left at the end to just hang on,” said Cancel. “She knows what she needs to do, and every single time she comes out here and does her job. She ran great.”

Bred in the Empire State by Dr. John M. McDermott and Laura G. McDermott, Kant Hurry Love, out of the Langfuhr mare She’s All Love, banked $74,250 in victory while improving her record to 23-7-8-5 and returning $11.20 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Aqueduct Racetrack with a nine-race program. 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/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.