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Phileas Fogg dominant in $150K Queens County victory

by Mary Eddy

Jupiter Stable’s Phileas Fogg made his return to stakes company a winning one with a pacesetting romp in Sunday’s Listed $150,000 Queens County, a nine-furlong route for 3-year-olds and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Gustavo Rodriguez, the 4-year-old Astern gelding made his first stakes start since a sixth on turf in the Listed Kent last July at Delaware Park and notched his third consecutive victory. He entered off a pair of optional claiming wins in an off-the-turf nine-furlong tilt in August at Saratoga Race Course and a local one-turn mile last out on September 26 that saw him defeat Rocket Can, subsequent winner of the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday, by 3 3/4 lengths.

Ridden to victory by Romero Maragh, Phileas Fogg emerged sharply from post 3 in the competitive field of six and drifted out wide into the first turn to carry the prominent Unlimitedpotential with him as the two vied for command through an opening quarter-mile in 23.75 seconds over the sloppy and sealed footing.

"In the first turn, I traveled a bit off the rail, just to secure my inside spot and secure the lead. That is where I wanted to be,” Maragh explained. “Once we got to the backside, I dropped down to the rail a bit more, I didn't know if anyone was trying to make a move up the rail and I never want to give up that position. Going into the first turn, that was the plan, park everybody a bit wide and establish my position. Then go from there."

Unlimitedpotential applied pressure down the backstretch with post-time favorite Law Professor and Tabeguache on even terms well ahead of Instant Coffee through the half-mile in 47.69.

"Once I got the lead and established that position, I wasn't very concerned about that,” Maragh said of the pressure. “He was doing it very comfortable, on his own, so he was in a nice rhythm, so I really wasn't too concerned about that to be honest.”

Instant Coffee and Curbstone made up ground from off the pace heading into the final turn to briefly make it four across the track in pursuit of the top pair before Tabeguache retreated and Instant Coffee evened his run.

Phileas Fogg found himself alone at the front through three-quarters in 1:12.03 as Unlimitedpotential backpedaled, but came under threat from Law Professor as Kendrick Carmouche angled the favorite - and defending race winner - off the rail and wide in between the leader and the oncoming Curbstone. The challenge was short-lived as Phileas Fogg kicked well clear at the top of the lane and galloped home with ease to score the victory by eight lengths in a final time of 1:51.48.

Curbstone wore down Law Professor in the final sixteenth to take place honors by three-quarter lengths with Instant Coffee, Tabeguache and Unlimitedpotential completing the order of finish. Masmak, Quality Chic, Repo Rocks, Surface to Air and Film Star, who won the Robert T. Manfuso on December 21 at Laurel Park, were scratched.

Rodriguez, who started a horse in a stakes for the first time since 2022, said he felt confident with the trip Maragh engineered.

"The good part - when Romero broke, he took him a little more wide and then went inside. It was a beautiful ride,” Rodriguez said. “When the eight [Unlimitedpotential] dropped back, he went like 'this' [ears up] and usually when they go like 'this' they've got something left.”

Rodriguez added Phileas Fogg delivered the stellar performance despite missing training due to a throat infection.

"He was training good,” Rodriguez said. “I think we lost three weeks and then everyday training beautiful.”

Maragh added he, too, was pleased with the way Phileas Fogg was entering the race off two five-furlong breezes over the Belmont Park training track, including on December 12 when covering the distance in 59.32 seconds.

"He worked pretty fast, pretty easily. After I came back, I said to him [Rodriguez], 'I'm not sure how fast he went, but it is how he did it.' I've ridden a lot of good horses, and the way he carries himself, the way he moves, the way how he levels off when you ask him, it is just different,” Maragh explained. “It is seriously one of the best feelings riding him. At the top of the lane, when I got after him, made him switch leads, I had a ton of horse left. He was just playing around the last eighth of a mile, just looking around, track is wet, he's just looking around the last eighth."

Bred in Kentucky by Godolphin, Phileas Fogg is out of the unraced More Than Ready mare Merino – a half-sister to Group 1-winner Capezzano – and was purchased for $55,000 at the 2023 Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Sale. He banked $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 14-7-2-0 and returning $9.80 on a $2 win bet.

Madison Olver, aboard the Tom Morley-trained Curbstone, expressed her pride in the effort from the 5-year-old gelding, who provided her with her first win as a jockey in 2022.

"I've never been worse than second on the horse [in four mounts]. He was my first winner and my fifth winner, and the most important part is just staying out of his way,” Olver said. “But then the sealed track kind of just carried the winner. He goes all day and is as honest as they come."

Live racing resumes Wednesday at the Big A with an eight-race card for Opening Day of the Aqueduct winter meet. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack winter 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 winter meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.