Aqueduct

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-Keeneland, $83K, AOC, 4/up, f/m, 8.5f, post time: 3:51 p.m. ET Robert and Lawana Low's current crop of 4-year-olds includes leading U.S. turf horse Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) and 'TDN Rising Star' SPICE IS NICE (Curlin), who dips down into allowance company for her seasonal debut. An impressive 12-length maiden winner at first asking last January, she was runner-up in the GII Davona Dale S., but only fifth to Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. An easy Belmont allowance winner last July,...

Dispatched at debut odds of 9-1 in Thursday's fourth race from Aqueduct, Lawrence Goichman's Star Devine (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) gave her rivals a bit of a head start after hopping slightly at the break, but she was handled perfectly thereafter by Trevor McCarthy and stormed home down the center of the track to graduate in sharp time to become a new 'TDN Rising Star.' Spotting the field a couple of lengths after that slow beginning, Star Devine--a 200,000gns purchase by Mike Ryan out of the 2019 Tattersalls October Sale--Book...

Trainer Brad Cox was plenty pleased with how champion juvenile and 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) exited Saturday's hard-fought decision in Keeneland's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. "He looks good this morning and I am happy with the way he came out of the race," Cox said Sunday. "I liked that he got a test yesterday. It was not like he just galloped up to the leader and went on by." Essential Quality will join Cox's string at Churchill Downs after training Monday to prepare for the GI Kentucky...

Klaravich Stables' Search Results (Flatter) remained undefeated and stamped her ticket to the GI Kentucky Oaks with a decisive victory while making her two-turn bow in Aqueduct's nine-panel GIII Gazelle S. Saturday. Graduating by four lengths in her six-panel unveiling at Gulfstream Jan. 3, she captured the one-mile Busher Invitational S. at the Big A next out Mar. 6. Hammered down to 2-5 favoritism to repeat in this step up to graded company, the $310,000 KEESEP acquisition was away in good order from the outside post in this eight-horse affair....

Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) took his 2021 record to a perfect three-for-three and scored a career high Saturday in Aqueduct's GI Carter H. Breaking sharply alongside the fleet-footed Chateau (Flat Out), the 4-5 chalk allowed his foe to dictate terms, sitting two lengths back in second as Chateau clocked a :23.09 first quarter and :45.89 half-mile. Chateau turned for home in front, but Mischevious Alex was just winding up. The bay inhaled the pacesetter by mid-stretch and rolled clear with ease under a hand ride from Irad Ortiz to win...

Despite a solid runner-up finish last out in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S., Drain the Clock (Maclean's Music)'s future appears to be around one turn, and he figures to be an overwhelming favorite in Saturday's seven-furlong GIII Bay Shore S. at Aqueduct. Romping to a six-length debut graduation as an 8-5 favorite in a Gulfstream off-the-turfer Sept. 12, the Saffie Joseph trainee repeated in a Gulfstream West allowance/optional claimer Oct. 28 before losing his rider when making his stakes bow in the Jean Lafitte S. Nov. 30 at...

Last winter, Cash is King and LC Racing's Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) created a buzz with back-to-back graded stakes victories, but was unable to sustain that momentum while making just two more starts in his 3-year-old season. The buzz is back for him after two more good-looking triumphs to start 2021, and he'll get another chance to prove his mettle in Saturday's GI Carter H. at Aqueduct, the first Grade I race in New York this year. Romping by seven lengths in last February's GIII Swale S., Mischevious Alex successfully...

Realistic cases can be made for six or seven of the nine 3-year-old males signed on for Saturday's GII Wood Memorial S. as the New York staple GI Kentucky Derby prep returns with a competitive renewal after a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19. Given the narrowest of nods on the morning line is Klaravich Stables' Risk Taking (Medaglia d'Oro). Unable to factor in his first two outings, one sprinting on dirt and one routing on yielding turf, the $240,000 Keeneland September buy sprung to life when returned to dirt over...

Trainer Todd Pletcher indicated Overtook (Curlin) will make his next start in the May 8 GIII Peter Pan S. at Belmont Park. Since finishing second behind Risk Taking in the GIII Withers S. Feb. 6 at Aqueduct, the son of Grade I winner Got Lucky (A.P. Indy) has registered two easy half-mile works at Pletcher's Palm Beach Downs base, including the latest a a four-furlong move in :50.75 Mar. 6. The Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith runner is expected to return...

Klaravich Stables' lightly-raced Search Results (Flatter) will try to make it two stakes wins in three career starts and punch her ticket to the GI Kentucky Oaks for trainer Chad Brown in the GIII Gazelle S. Saturday at Aqueduct. Unveiled Jan. 3 going six furlongs at Gulfstream, the $310,000 Keeneland September buy ran away to a four-length victory. Stepped up and stretched out to a mile in the local Busher Invitational S. Mar. 6, the dark bay responded with a hard-fought half-length victory over the more seasoned Miss Brazil (Palace...

Saturday's Wood Memorial Challenge is the second-of-six $3,000 NYRA Bets live-money handicapping challenges offered in 2021.The Wood Memorial challenge, featuring a $3,000 buy-in, offers an array of prizes including a cash prize pool, one seeded $10,000 Belmont Stakes Contest Seat, and two 2022 National Handicapping Championship [NHC] seats. NYRA Handicapping Challenge entrants will be able to register and compete online in all contests via NYRA Bets. The leaderboard for all of these contests will be posted throughout the day on America's Day at the Races, produced by NYRA in partnership...

Godolphin has been riding a high since annexing last weekend's GI Dubai World Cup with homebred Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) and the operation looks to assert its dominance in the sophomore division Saturday with a pair of TDN Rising Stars, defending juvenile champion Essential Quality (Tapit), slated to run in Keeneland's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. and Aqueduct's GII Wood Memorial contender Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro). Essential Quality earned his Rising Star status courtesy of a four-length victory sprinting six panels at Churchill Downs last September before handling his step up to...