Adam Coglianese Photo

Man in Finance one to look out for in $100K Notebook

by Keith McCalmont

Impressive maiden winner Man in Finance headlines a talented field of seven in Saturday’s $100,000 Notebook, a six-furlong sprint over the main track for New York-bred 2-year-olds, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Owned and trained by Danny Gargan, the Central Banker gelding drew off to a 7 3/4-length debut score sprinting six-furlongs against fellow state-breds on September 21 at Saratoga Race Course.

There, Man in Finance [post 1, Luis Rivera, Jr.] tracked from second position under returning rider Luis Rivera, Jr. as returning foe Kenny Be, who stumbled at the start, set splits of 22.99 seconds and 46.64 over the fast main track. Man in Finance made a three-wide move late in the turn and took command with three-sixteenths to run en route to a commanding score in a final time of 1:11.16. The winning effort garnered an 82 Beyer Speed Figure, and the result was validated when the David Duggan-trained Kenny Be returned to win impressively.

"I guess the horse to beat might be the horse he beat that day, who came back to win easy. They're both good horses.” Gargan said. “He was very professional on debut. He's been like that from Day One - he's a very professional type horse and he wants to do it. He's fast and he doesn't have to have the lead. We like him and we're happy to have him.”

Gargan said he always had high hopes for the $62,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase.

“He's a pretty horse - a really nice athletic horse,” Gargan said. “I had him down at Ocala and Gene Recio broke him at Lynwood and he called me up and said he really liked the Central Banker horse.

“We thought a lot of him and thought he would break his maiden at Saratoga,” Gargan added. “I was getting ready to run him and there was a storm coming so I walked everything in the barn that day and he got rowdy in the stall and got a little cut on his leg, so he had to miss a race because of it.”

Gargan said he is using the Notebook as a springboard to the $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way, a seven-furlong spring for eligible New York-sired juveniles on December 14 at the Big A. The lucrative Great White Way is among the richest juvenile state-sired stakes in the country and likely to attract a talented field that includes the Gargan-trained maiden winner National Identity and the Brad Cox-conditioned Sacrosanct, who is undefeated in three starts topped by a pair of New York-bred stakes wins.

Man in Finance worked back twice over the Oklahoma dirt training track last month and most recently went a half-mile in 49 flat Friday over the Belmont Park dirt training track. A half-brother to multiple stakes-placed Unique Unions, Man in Finance is out of the multiple stakes-placed Eltish mare Nicole’s Miss El.

Clear Stars Stable and Mitre Box Stable’s Kenny Be [post 6, Romero Maragh] returned to wire a field of state-bred maidens by 8 1/2-lengths at second asking on October 26 here.

The Complexity gelding broke alertly this time from the inside post under regular pilot Romero Maragh and marked off splits of 22.85, 46.52 and 58.12 over the fast main track to score under a hand ride in a final time of 1:10.29 for six furlongs. In victory, Kenny Be earned a field-best 84 Beyer.

Duggan said Kenny Be benefited from his debut and is hoping to close the gap on his familiar foe.

“He had to start somewhere, and he got a good education and improved quite dramatically from it,” Duggan said. “The run improved him more than I thought it would. He really stepped up to the plate and now he has to step up again and see if he can take on these types of horses. I think we've improved enough to take him on.”

Kenny Be worked back a half-mile in 51.66 Sunday over the Belmont dirt training track and Duggan indicated that the talented bay is ready to run off a little more than two weeks rest.

“It's a bit of a concern off a large number but he did it easy enough and he has recovered well enough physically and mentally. I'm happy with where we're at,” Duggan said.

The $115,000 OBS Spring of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase is out of the winning Bernstein mare Stay Composed, who is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Manuka Honey. His second dam is stakes-winner Al Max Diner.

Arnmore Thoroughbreds and Even Keel Thoroughbreds talented filly Phoebeinwonderland [post 4, John Velazquez] steps into stakes company for the first time for trainer Wesley Ward.

The More Than Ready chestnut, a $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale buy, was last seen winning her May 10 debut here when a three-quarter-length victor against the boys over eventual stakes-winner Out On Bail.

There, Phoebeinwonderland overcame a rough start when bumped twice before tracking from second position as Out On Bail zipped through a half-mile in 46.50. Phoebeinwonderland made a three-wide move from the top of the lane and arrived in the final jumps to score in a final time of 59.32 for five furlongs and earn a 57 Beyer.

Phoebeinwonderland has trained recently over the Keeneland dirt towards her return, including a half-mile in 48.40 on November 4. She is out of the Palace Malice mare Nominate, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-placed Winning Envelope.

Ward also entered Ice Wine Stable and Smart Choice Stable’s filly Shoot It True [post 5, Frankie Dettori, blinkers OFF], who has made a pair of starts against males, including a fourth-place finish last out as the mutuel favorite in the five-furlong Kentucky Juvenile on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

The Munnings dark bay was fractious in the gate before leading the field through the first three points of call. She established a two-length lead turning for home but could not stave off the rally of the victorious West Memorial as well as runner-ups Strummin and Akinmusire.

The $340,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase was a gate-to-wire winner on debut traveling 4 1/2-furlongs on April 5 at Keeneland when 7 1/2-lengths the better of the aforementioned Strummin.

Shoot It True is out of the Malibu Moon mare To the Moon Alice, a half-sister to 2017 Grade 2 Mother Goose-winner Unchained Melody.

Rounding out a compact but talented field are multiple stakes-placed Soontobeking [post 3, Eric Cancel] for trainer George Weaver; and maiden winners Three B’s [post 7, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] for trainer Horacio De Paz, and the Carlos David-conditioned In the Chase [post 2, Manny Franco].

The Notebook is slated as Race 3 on Saturday’s 10-race card which also features the Listed $150,000 Central Park in Race 9. 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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