Aqueduct

Edited Press Release Jean Claude Jaramillo says his favorite memories working at the New York Racing Association, Inc. are easy choices: being a part of the security horse detail of the last two Triple Crown winners: Justify in 2018 and American Pharoah in 2015. But it's not the highlight. "That I get to be a part of this team is what I'm proudest of here," says Jaramillo, an equine investigator specialist on NYRA's four-person Safety & Integrity team and the new chair of the global Organization of Racing Investigators (ORI)....

1st-AQU, $68K, Msw, 3yo, 6.5fT, 1:00 p.m. ET Gary Barber and ERJ Racing LLC's PATROL (Liam's Map) debuts for trainer Mark Casse. The second highest-priced juvenile of 2019 for Liam's Map (the sire's third highest-priced 2-year-old overall last year), the grey was secured for $350,000 at Keeneland last April. Dylan Davis gets the mount. TJCIS PPs 2nd-FG, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 9f, 1:29 p.m. ET Triple Crown nominated AIRSTREEM (Tapit), a half-brother to champion and Classic heroine Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro), closed from off the pace to be fourth going six...

An Aqueduct apprentice jockey who last year was suspended 10 days for allegedly not dismounting from his injured horse in a timely manner had his penalty wiped off the books via appeal by the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) Monday. The case involved jockey Benjamin Hernandez, who rode Tiger Man (Desert Party) in the eighth race Feb. 8, 2019. According to the Equibase chart, the 0-for-9 maiden-claimer "completed the half hobbling its way to the quarter pole, was eased [and] then pulled up." The NYSGC's Equine Breakdown, Death, Injury...

America's Day at the Races, presented by America's Best Racing, Runhappy and Claiborne Farm and produced by NYRA, returns to FS2 Feb. 8 with a 3 1/2-hour show from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. It will cover live stakes action from Aqueduct, Oaklawn, Santa Anita and four stakes from Tampa Bay, including the GIII Sam F. Davis S. Other featured races include the Jimmy Winkfield S. at Aqueduct, the King Cotton S. at Oaklawn and the GII Las Virgenes S. America's Day at the Races will air on most Saturdays...

7th-Aqueduct, $75K, Alw/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 1m, 4:25 ET Repole Stable's LEGIT (Curlin) followed up a dominant debut victory going a mile at Gulfstream with an equally impressive two-turn, 'TDN Rising Star'-earning score in the Pimlico slop on Preakness weekend in 2018, but disappeared after that and resurfaces off a near 21-month layoff in this mile feature at Aqueduct. Unveiled as a 17-10 chance in Hallandale, the chestnut scampered away to triumph in hand by 7 1/4 lengths, then rallied from well off the pace to a four-length tally despite a...

George Hall's Max Player (Honor Code) exited his victory in Saturday's GIII Withers S. at Aqueduct in fine shape and will likely make his next appearance in the Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial. Sent to post at odds of 5-1, Max Player was in tight and taking significant kickback into the first turn before jockey Dylan Davis angled him outside for smoother sailing. Settled wide in fifth, he grinded his way into contention through the final turn and found his best stride late to put away GII Remsen S. winner...

Harvey's Lil Goil started a bit slowly, but finished fast to dominate Sunday's Busanda S. at Aqueduct and become the fifth black-type winner for her Triple Crown-winning champion first-crop sire--on his birthday no less. A debut fourth on the local lawn Nov. 9, the grey broke through by an emphatic six-length margin going a mile over this good main track Dec. 12 and was heavily supported to see out a additional furlong for this. Away last, Harvey's Lil Goil was hung very wide while trying to make up some ground...

Max Player went from maiden winner to graded winner by outstaying his competition in Saturday's GIII Withers S. His victory was both the first black-type and graded for sire Honor Code (A.P. Indy), whose Lane's End barn mate Tonalist was also represented by his first graded winner Saturday in the form of GIII Forward Gal S. romper Tonalist's Shape. Awkward early but flying home late when second on debut going a mile at Parx Nov. 12, Max Player broke through in the slop by 4 1/4 lengths back in Bensalem...

Tired of all the bad news? So were we. So, in our new series, we focus on the positive, asking people from non-horse racing families two questions: how they get hooked, and how they'll hook someone else on horse racing this year. MIKE REPOLE What was the experience that made you fall in love with horse racing? Growing up in Queens, I would cut out of high school early to spend the day at "the beautiful Aqueduct Racetrack" to place a $2 bet and watch these amazing Thoroughbreds compete at...

7th-Aqueduct, $81,560, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 1-31, 4yo/up, 1m, 1:39.15, ft. SIR WINSTON (c, 4, Awesome Again--La Gran Bailadora {GSW & GISP, $338,416}, by Afleet Alex), victor of the GI Belmont S. last June, returned to winning ways Friday in his return to dirt after a failed attempt on turf last month. Scratched due to sloppy conditions in last Saturday's Jazil S. at the Big A, the homebred was given a 4-1 chance in this competitive event. The chestnut trailed the field early as Leitone (Chi) (Dunkirk) loped along through...

GII Remsen S. winner Shotski (Blame) will take his next step down the GI Kentucky Derby trail Saturday when he returns to Aqueduct for the GIII Withers S. Earning his diploma at second asking when switched from turf to dirt at Laurel Oct. 3, the bay was fourth in the Street Sense S. at Churchill Downs Oct. 27, but wired the field next out in the track-and-trip Remsen Dec. 7. "We know he likes the track, and we know he can get the distance," trainer Jeremiah O'Dwyer told the NYRA...

5th-Aqueduct, $65,960, Msw, 1-30, 3yo, 6f, 1:13.27, ft. SIXTO (c, 3, Curlin--Drift to the Lead, by Yonaguska), dismissed at odds of 13-1 in a field reduced to five by the post-time scratching of Ghost Fighter (Tapit), was roused to the lead approaching the sixteenth pole and held on for a 1 3/4-length victory in his career debut. Only fairly away, the dark bay gained a bit of ground as favored Its a Wrap (Twirling Candy) cut out the running. Three deep on the turn, the May 17 foal looked a...