Susie Raisher Photo

Rice kicks off Big A spring meet in style; El Grande O chasing Derby points in G2 Wood Memorial

by NYRA Press Ofiice

• Rice kicks off Big A spring meet in style; El Grande O chasing Derby points in G2 Wood Memorial
• Mott holds strong hand with Resilience, Elysian Meadows for G2 Wood Memorial
• Deposition relishes nine-furlong G2 Wood Memorial distance
• Whocouldaskformo stretches out for G3 Gazelle
• Where’s My Ring ships in for G3 Gazelle
• Castle Chaos looks to rebound in G2 Carter
• Capital Idea has several options ahead; Far Bridge returns victorious

Trainer Linda Rice, fresh off winning the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet title with 23 wins, combined with jockey Jose Lezcano to win five races here on Thursday’s card on Opening Day of the spring meet.

“It was a good day yesterday,” said Rice, with a laugh. “It was a great way to kick off the spring meet.”

Rice and Lezcano’s winning quintet included, Solib, Screaming Uncle, Cinderella’s Cause, Freedsdale and graded stakes-winner Joey Freshwater, who garnered a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure in taking a six-furlong optional-claiming sprint for older horses.

Winning Move Stable’s Joey Freshwater posted a record of 10-2-2-2 for purse earnings of $242,350 last year topped by a score in the Big A’s Grade 3 Bay Shore. Following a pair of off-the-board efforts in July and August at Saratoga Race Course and Parx, respectively, the now 4-year-old Jimmy Creed colt was freshened and returned in winning fashion here in a January optional-claimer. He followed with a fading fourth when racing out of the inside post in a February optional claimer ahead of Thursday’s stellar performance.

“He had been training well and coming into the race well,” Rice said. “He ran well off the layoff after we gave him a nice break last fall. We gave him 3-to-4 months off and he came back super. His second start after the break, he was trapped down inside with an inside trip and came out of the race lame in a hind leg. We had to spend some time with him and do some acupuncture and really work through that, but he came into this race beautifully and had a great trip with Jose Lezcano and really delivered.”

Rice said Joey Freshwater will point to the six-furlong Grade 3, $175,000 Runhappy on May 11 at the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet.

“Frankly, he’s running out of conditions but he’s a Grade 3 winner as a 3-year-old and has been a promising horse all along,” Rice said. “Sometimes, these horses will mature from 3-to-4 and you hope they can get back into stakes caliber company. The Runhappy would probably be the mark.”

Rice will hope to continue her good run of form on Saturday here when she sends out four horses across three stakes events topped by El Grande O in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino. The nine-furlong test for sophomores offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

El Grande O, a New York-homebred for Barry Schwartz, has banked $435,000 through a 11-3-5-2 record. He has amassed 30 Kentucky Derby qualifying points over his last three starts here when second in the Jerome and Grade 3 Withers ahead of a third-place finish last out in the Grade 3 Gotham.

El Grande O has been racing in blinkers since August and Rice had considered removing the equipment for this start before opting for a smaller cup.

“I had planned on taking them off, but with the big field I decided to just run him in cheaters versus taking them off completely,” Rice said.

Rice said she is hopeful that the Take Charge Indy colt, who is currently 20th in the standings, can secure enough points to make the 20-horse starting gate.

“He’s doing really well coming into this race,” Rice said. “We have to hope we get enough points to get into the Derby and of course Barry and I will discuss it, but it’s such a historic race and a once-in-a-lifetime type opportunity that I think if he races well enough and puts in a good showing that we would go.”

Dylan Davis, who secured leading rider honors at the Big A winter meet, will pick up the mount from Kendrick Carmouche, who will pilot the maiden Protective for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

“Dylan is a great rider and has been leading rider here this winter. He’s really at the top of his game and I’m sure he’ll do well on the horse,” Rice said.

Rice will saddle a pair of top contenders in the seven-furlong Grade 3, $175,000 Distaff for older fillies and mares in KEM Stables’ Hot Fudge and Ronald Stewart’s Ain’t Broke.

Hot Fudge, a 5-year-old Liam’s Map dark bay, enters on a five-race win streak here topped by stakes scores in the Garland of Roses, Interborough and Correction.

Ain’t Broke, a 5-year-old Dialed In dark bay, has won four of her last five outings topped by a five-length optional-claiming score last out. She finished third two starts back in the Interborough in her stakes debut.

“Hot Fudge is in terrific form. She’s won five races in a row and could not be in better form than she is,” Rice said. “Ain’t Broke ran a bit of a subpar race in the Interborough and we’re hoping for a rebound in this race. We don’t know yet if her races off Lasix will be as good as her races on Lasix.”

Robert Pezzuti’s Augustine Red will make his stakes debut in the Listed $150,000 Bay Shore, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores.

The Irish War Cry chestnut was haltered for $50,000 from a fourth-out graduation in November at Churchill Downs. He has made four starts for current connections here, including a three-quarter length optional-claiming score on February 19.

“It’s definitely a step up but I’ve been very fond of this horse,” Rice said. “He has a few antics – he lugs in and if we could get him to run straight, I think he could compete in this field. But I’ve been pretty high on the horse, and this is a good distance for him.”

***

Mott holds strong hand in Resilience, Elysian Meadows in G2 Wood Memorial

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will send out a pair of strong contenders in Resilience and Elysian Meadows in Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino. The nine-furlong test for sophomores offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

Emily Bushnell and Ric Waldman’s Resilience has banked $94,630 through a 5-1-1-1 record, having graduated at fourth asking traveling 1 1/16-miles on New Year’s Day at Gulfstream Park.

Last out, the Into Mischief colt exited post 10-of-12 in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Risen Star under returning Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and tracked the speed of Track Phantom from second position over the sloppy and sealed main track. Resilience made his bid through the turn and was carried out by the frontrunner entering the stretch run, but chased home gamely to finish fourth behind the victorious Sierra Leone.

Resilience, who will add blinkers for the Wood Memorial, garnered a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure in the Risen Star along with 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Mott said his charge wasn’t directly hindered by Track Phantom floating out.

“He might have clocked him – he didn’t get bumped – but he might have anticipated it. He’s got to step up. He’s still learning,” Mott said. “I think the blinkers just might keep him a little more focused.”

Resilience enters with a pair of bullet breezes under his belt over the Payson Park Training Center dirt, including a half-mile effort in 48.40 Saturday.

“He did have a chance to work in them [blinkers],” Mott said. “I don’t think he’ll have to be more forward than he was, but maybe keep him a little more focused at the end of the race.”

Mott, who won the Wood in 2019 with eventual Derby third-place finisher Tacitus, said he is confident Velazquez can work out a good trip from the inside post in a stacked field of 13 horses.

“There’s quite a bit of speed beside him,” said Mott, noting the typically forwardly-placed El Grande O in post 2 and longshot Lonesome Boy in post 3. “You always want to get out of the gate and get position. He’s got a good post and can save ground around the first turn.”

Resilience has a strong turf pedigree out of the winning Smart Strike mare Meadowsweet, who is a half-sister to the Grade 1 and multiple graded stakes-winning Storm Cat progeny Courageous Cat and After Market – all three are out of the multiple Grade 1-winning Rahy mare Tranquility Lake. Jalil, a Group 2-winner on dirt, is also by Storm Cat and out of Tranquility Lake.

Team Penney Racing’s New York-bred Elysian Meadows won his first two starts in state-bred sprints here, besting next-out winner Big Prankster in his November debut and putting away next-out winner and eventual stakes-winner Mischief Joke in a December optional-claimer.

The City of Light bay, bred by Moni Market Breeders and M & M Equine, picked up four Kentucky Derby points last out when closing to finish fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Sam F. Davis in February at Tampa Bay Downs.

“He seems to be doing well,” Mott said. “Both horses - it’s our last opportunity to generate any points for the Derby, so we’re giving them a chance. If one runs well, maybe it will put us in the gate.”

Elysian Meadows will exit post 8 under Jose Lezcano.

***

Deposition relishes nine-furlong G2 Wood Memorial distance

Deposition, owned and trained by Uriah St. Lewis, will look to outrun his 50-1 morning line in Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, a 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifier for sophomores traveling nine furlongs, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Wood Memorial, slated as Race 10, tops a lucrative 11-race card that will also feature the Grade 2, $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets, the Grade 3, $175,000 Distaff, the Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle, a 100-50-25-15-10 qualifier for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, and the Listed $150,000 Bay Shore. First post is 11:30 a.m. Eastern.

The Constitution dark bay enters off a distant sixth going a one-turn mile in the Grade 3 Gotham on March 2 at the Big A. The wide trip received a 69 Beyer Speed Figure after earning an 80 for finishing fourth in the local Grade 3 Withers at nine furlongs on February 3.

“He is more of a two-turn horse and the Gotham was one mile. He didn’t like it and then when he swung for home, he had no choice but to go by on the inside,” said St. Lewis. “We threw that race out and went back to the drawing board.”

Deposition graduated at fifth asking when traveling one mile and 70 yards around two turns on November 21 at Parx Racing.

“Every time we run him two turns, he tries. Around one turn, he has to try to keep up with them, trying to stick close,” said St. Lewis. “He prefers to drop off and make one run, but he has enough speed to stick close [at longer distances]. He’s not one of them who likes to be two, three lengths off of them.”

Deposition has breezed five furlongs twice since the Gotham, most recently in 1:01.74 on March 27 at Parx. St. Lewis, who upset Belmont Park’s 2018 Jockey Club Gold Cup with 45-1 shot Discreet Lover and Aqueduct’s 2021 Queen’s County with 42-1 chance Forewarned, said he likes what he has seen from the upset candidate.

“He’s training good, eating good, feeling good,” St. Lewis said. “If I didn’t think he had a chance, he wouldn’t come.”

Out of the Dubawi mare Mandrell, Deposition, whose second dam is dual Grade 1-winner Country Star, was a $77,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. He has banked $62,275 through a record of 8-1-0-1.

Dexter Haddock will retain the mount from post 12.

***

Whocouldaskformo stretches out for G3 Gazelle

Courtlandt Farms’ stakes-placed Whocouldaskformo will contest nine furlongs for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle, a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Gazelle awards the top-five finishers with 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks and is part of the lucrative Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino Card, led by the nine-furlong Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial, a 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifier for sophomores. The day will also feature the Grade 2, $300,000 Carter presented by NYRA Bets, the Grade 3, $175,000 Distaff, and the Listed $150,000 Bay Shore.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Whocouldaskformo stretches back out to two turns after finishing an even fifth in the one-mile Grade 2 Davona Dale on March 2 at Gulfstream Park where she tracked in fifth throughout and failed to threaten when asked by jockey Jose Ortiz.

“The mile is just too short for her,” said McGaughey. “She’s just not a one-turn miler. But, we learn by doing, and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.”

The daughter of Uncle Mo graduated at second asking in her first try around two turns, capturing a one-mile and 40-yard maiden special weight in December at Tampa Bay Downs. She followed with her sophomore debut over the same distance and course in the Suncoast on February 10 where she finished a closing second to Power Squeeze, who exited that effort to win the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks last Saturday.

“She’s been training good, and I think she’s a true two-turn, mile-and-an-eighth kind of filly,” said McGaughey. “She ran good against the winner of the Gulfstream Park Oaks over at Tampa and that was a jump up for her. It’s a pretty darn nice filly that won, so it makes our form look a little bit better.”

While Whocouldaskformo has tracked in fifth-place or farther back in the early stages of each of her four starts, McGaughey said he expects the dark bay to lay closer as she takes on her farthest test yet.

“I think going the distance, she won’t be on the lead, but just off it,” said McGaughey. “We’ll just see how the race sets up and I doubt going the mile-and-an-eighth there this time of year that they’re going to go very fast in the first part of it. We’ll hope she slowly grinds it out.”

Whocouldaskformo had her final breeze for the Gazelle on March 25 at Payson Park Training Center, where she covered a half-mile in 50.40 seconds.

“She doesn’t need a lot of training,” said McGaughey. “She’s a forward type of filly, but she’s professional in what she does.”

Bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Equine, Whocouldaskformo was purchased for $450,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She is out of the winning Bernardini mare Midnight Belle, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner and 2010 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic victress Unrivaled Belle, who produced dual Champion Sprinter Unique Bella. Midnight Belle is also a half-sister to Lemon Belle, who produced last year’s Grade 3 Gotham-winner Raise Cain.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez will look to engineer a winning ride from post 2 [6-1 ML].

West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing’s dual graded stakes-winner Integration was last seen finishing a game fifth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on January 27 at Gulfstream. McGaughey reported the 4-year-old Quality Road colt emerged well from his effort and is on target for a start in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile next Friday at Keeneland.

“He’s doing fine and he’s entered in the Maker’s Mark Mile,” said McGaughey. “This is the race we planned for, so we’ll see what happens. He had a little bit of a troubled trip in the Pegasus, but he’s been training fine and is fresh.”

Integration looks to add to a brief but impressive resume that includes a debut win in August at Colonial Downs and back-to-back graded victories when taking the Grade 3 Virginia Derby over the New Kent oval, and the Grade 2 Hill Prince in November at the Big A. He was a $700,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Scat Daddy mare Harmonize.

***

Where’s My Ring ships in for G3 Gazelle

Michael McMillan’s Where’s My Ring is the field’s lone maiden but brings strong West Coast efforts to Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle, a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Gazelle, slated as Race 8 on a stacked 11-race card headlined by the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino in Race 10, offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top five finishers.

Trained by Val Brinkerhoff, the Twirling Candy bay enters off a second in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Santa Ysabel on March 9 at Santa Anita Park, garnering 25 qualifying points. The five-length defeat to New York bred Kinza improved upon a fourth beaten 10 lengths by the same rival in a six-furlong maiden on December 29 at Santa Anita.

“I don’t think there’s anyone in this race that on paper seems to have the speed that Kinza had. We ran with her twice, she beat us badly going short, but I actually think we can beat her when we get out to one mile and an eighth,” Brinkerhoff said. “We were looking for the best route to get into the Oaks and I think the added distance will be right down this filly’s alley.”

Where’s My Ring, who added blinkers two starts back, shipped to the Gazelle rather than contest Saturday's 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Santa Anita Oaks that also awards 100-50-25-15-10 on Saturday.

Brinkerhoff said the decision was more based on the nine-furlong distance rather than avoiding a third matchup with Kinza, who is the race’s 4-5 morning line favorite.

“I like this distance better and the overall field. I don’t think there’s a Kinza in this field, just on paper, I haven’t watched them run, there may be,” said Brinkerhoff. “We have to be at least second, but we came here hoping to win and get in [the Oaks] for sure.”

Out of the winning Tapit mare Mapit, Where’s My Ring, who boasts a field-high 89 Beyer Speed Figure for a second around two turns in a one-mile maiden on February 2 at Santa Anita. She was a $100,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and has banked $92,620 through a record of 7-0-3-1.

Jose Lezcano will be aboard from post 1.

Michael McMillan’s Ifuaintfirsturlast enters Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks after being pulled up in the Santa Ysabel. The Mineshaft chestnut, who is tabbed at odds of 50-1, graduated in her eighth start for Brinkerhoff traveling one mile on January 15 at Santa Anita.

“We put her into the last race to kind of be a rabbit in there, but this one, anything can happen in a five-horse field,” said Brinkerhoff. “We’re just looking to maybe try and get lucky and get stakes placed with her, if she hits the board, that would be great.”

Out of the Broken Vow mare Morning Dance, Ifuaintfirsturlast, a $26,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearling and Horses of Racing Age Sale, holds a record of 9-1-0-0 with $24,620 in earnings.

Tyler Baze will be in the irons from post 4.

***

Castle Chaos looks to rebound in G2 Carter

Sanford Goldfarb, Nice Guys Stables and trainer Rob Falcone, Jr.’s dual graded stakes-placed Castle Chaos will attempt a breakthrough victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Carter presented by NYRA Bets, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 6-year-old Palace Malice gelding has blossomed since returning from a one-year respite in June. He has hit the board in seven of his last eight outings, including a third in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets in December and a narrow second to Tumbarumba in the one-mile Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper two starts back on January 27 at Gulfstream Park.

Falcone, Jr. said time has proven to be the difference maker for the consistent bay.

“He always had ability, he just needed to get his mind in check to go along with the ability,” said Falcone, Jr. “He just took a little longer to mature, and I think having time off helped him mature physically and mentally. He came back and started improving from there and kept moving up.”

Castle Chaos won his comeback race in a June optional claimer at Monmouth Park and hit the board in his next three outings before visiting the winner’s circle again in November when annexing a one-turn mile second-level optional claimer over a fast main track. He followed with his stakes debut in the Cigar Mile over muddy and sealed footing on December 2, finishing a wide and closing third at odds of 32-1.

The next-out Hooper saw Castle Chaos earn his highest Beyer Speed Figure to date [97] for his heartbreaking nose defeat after being bumped early and tracking in 8th-of-11 through the first half-mile. He rallied strongly through the latter part of the race and flew by his rivals to take dead aim at Tumbarumba, but came up just shy of his first stakes win.

“I still can’t believe he lost that race,” said Falcone, Jr., with a laugh. “He’s been doing good and training good since.”

Castle Chaos enters the Carter from an uncharacteristic sixth-place finish in the one-mile Listed Stymie on March 2 here, which was contested over an exceptionally sloppy and sealed main track. He tracked 1 1/4 lengths off the early pace under returning rider Dylan Davis, but faltered when asked for his best run approaching the turn.

“I think we shipped him a little too close to the race,” said Falcone, Jr. “He had a long van ride from Florida and some horses it doesn’t take as big of a toll, but some of them, it does. I think that was probably what happened there. And, the track was awful that day – we got an abnormal amount of rain, and he just couldn’t deal with the sloppy track.”

Falcone, Jr. said he is hopeful Castle Chaos will relish a return to seven furlongs for the first time since a neck defeat in a second-level optional claimer in August at Saratoga Race Course.

“It could be a touch short, depending on pace, but he ran good at this distance last time, so we’ll see how he goes,” Falcone, Jr. said.

Bred in Kentucky by Dragon Slayer Stable, Castle Chaos is out of the three-time winning Flatter mare Queen Victoria, a half-sister to the stakes-placed Queen Camilla. He boasts a lifetime record of 15-3-4-4 with $310,160 in total purse earnings. He has been tabbed the longest shot in the five-horse field at 8-1 odds and will emerge from the inside post on Saturday.

***

Capital Idea has several options ahead; Far Bridge returns victorious

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Capital Idea skipped the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack, but still has graded stakes aspirations further down the road this summer.

Trained by Christophe Clement, the son of Classic Empire was last seen finishing a closing fifth after a wide trip in the Grade 3 Gotham on March 2. He finished 9 1/4 lengths back of winning stablemate Deterministic, who is the morning line 7-5 favorite for the Wood Memorial.

Clement said Capital Idea has continued to train well at Belmont Park since the Gotham, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:03 on March 27 over the dirt training track. One possible long-term goal for the bay colt could be the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan on May 11 at the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet, a race Clement won in 2014 with Tonalist en route to a Grade 1 Belmont Stakes triumph.

“He skipped the Wood to go somewhere easier,” Clement said. “We’ll run him in April. He worked fine, but I don’t think he’s quite yet to the Wood level. If he improves to be that level [then] no issues, we can take that on later – a race like the Peter Pan could be a choice for him down the road. He’s got plenty of choices and it’s OK. We’ll just go one step at a time.”

A $260,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Capital Idea graduated impressively by 8 1/4 lengths at second asking in a local January 28 maiden. He is out of the stakes-placed Distorted Humor mare Rever de Vous, a half-sister to the multiple graded stakes-placed Dreaming of Drew.

Clement recently sent out Adelphi Racing Club, Madaket Stables, Corms Racing Stable and On The Rise Again Stable’s Pandagate to finish a rallying third in the Group 2 UAE Derby last Saturday at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The New York-bred son of Arrogate, bred by Fred W. Hertrich, III, stalked the pace in mid-pack and made a bid entering the final turn to come on late for show honors 6 3/4 lengths behind the victorious Forever Young, which awarded him with 25 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

Clement said he was proud of the effort from the gray ridgling.

“So far, so good,” said Clement. “We will regroup. He ran a very good race and the winner was very impressive. Pandagate gave a very good account of himself and I was delighted with the performance. We’ll let him tell us what to do.”

LSU Stables’ Grade 1-winner Far Bridge returned to the Clement barn this spring after spending the majority of his sophomore season with Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. The 4-year-old English Channel bay made his first start back with Clement a winning one on March 31 when annexing a 1 1/16-mile turf optional claimer at Gulfstream Park, rallying from three lengths off the pace to land the half-length score over Onenightstandards.

Clement said possible targets for Far Bridge include the nine-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Old Forester Turf Classic on the May 4 Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs, or the 1 3/8-mile Grade 2, $400,000 Man o’ War on May 11 at the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet.

“He’s a very good horse,” said Clement. “I was very happy with the race and it was a great race back. We’ve got two options to either go for the Grade 1 on Derby Day, or the Man o’ War. We don’t have to make a decision now. It’s a good position [to be in] and he had been training very well the past four or five weeks. I’m just delighted to have him back in the barn. It’s a great feeling for all of us.”

Far Bridge made the grade with a one-length victory in last year’s Belmont Derby at Belmont Park and finished third in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational at Saratoga Race Course. He closed out his sophomore campaign with a close runner-up effort to Anglophile in the Grade 3 Dueling Grounds Derby in September at Kentucky Downs.