Big A

Uni (GB)
Sunday's Racing Insights: First Foal Out of Champion Uni Debuts at the Big A

5th-BAQ, 85k, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 3:05 p.m. ET Peter Brant homebred Blackfin (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), the first foal out of GI Breeders' Cup Mile heroine and champion turf female Uni (GB) (More Than Ready), debuts for Chad Brown. Brant's White Birch Farm went to $4.1 million to purchase Uni at the 2020 FTKNOV Sale. Listed at 7-2 on the morning-line, the 3-year-old filly will be ridden by Flavien Prat. Blackfin is bred on the same Kingman x More Than Ready cross as G1SW-Aus King Colorado (Aus). TJCIS PPS

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NYRA Rolls Out BAQ, Big A Fall Meet Stakes Schedules For A Combined $15 Million

The New York Racing Association has rolled out its 2025 stakes schedules for the 32-day Belmont  At The Big A  fall meet (BAQ) and the 27-day fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack which sport a combined purse structure in excess of $15-million, according to a pair of press releases on Saturday from the organization. Due to the ongoing construction of the new Belmont Park, the BAQ fall meet will once again be conducted in Ozone Park and will run from Thursday, Sept. 11 through Sunday, Nov. 2. The meet will offer a...

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Sweet Seraphine wins the Wilton Stakes
Quality Road Filly Sweet Seraphine Overcomes Early Trouble To Take Wilton Stakes

Sweet Seraphine (Quality Road) sounded the drum late and scored her first black-type in the Wilton Stakes at the Big A on Sunday afternoon. As a juvenile, the filly debuted in third at Ellis Park in early August before heading to the sidelines. The bay came off the bench to don cap and gown by a nose at Churchill Downs May 24. The 6-5 choice here took an awkward step at the start which put her several lengths off the speed up the backstretch. Chasing the pace into the far...

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Friday's Racing Insights: Half to GISW My Conquestadory Debuts at Big A

1st-BAQ, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:10p.m. Mathiesen Racing's ELLA GRACE (Nyquist) gets her start for trainer George Weaver, who calls on the services of the red-hot Flavien Prat. Bred by Killora Stud, the Kentucky bred is out of MSP Golden Artemis (Malibu Moon), herself a first-out winner who tasted limited success on the racetrack. Her greatest achievement to date is producing My Conquestadory (Artie Schiller), who also won at first asking in the one-mile GII Summer Stakes in 2013 before adding a victory over a synthetic surface in the...

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Garamond Gate To Wire At The Big A, Cornucopian Second Best

7th-Aqueduct, $71,340, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 4-27, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.58, ft, 3 1/4 lengths. GARAMOND (c, 3, Uncle Mo--Blue Watch, by Tapit) broke his maiden by 1 3/4 lengths on debut at Tampa Bay Jan. 25. The colt ran third to Flood Zone (Frosted) in the GIII Gotham Stakes Mar. 1 before going off as the 5-2 second choice here in a field that scratched down from eight to three. The homebred rolled from the word 'go' and gave 'TDN Rising Star' Cornucopian (Into Mischief) a dose of his own...

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Shedaresthedevil 'Rising Star' Half-Brother Star of Wonder Fires Fresh Off Bench at Big A

7th-Aqueduct, $86,000, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 4-4, 4yo/up, 1m, 1:35.23, ft, 1/2 length. STAR OF WONDER (c, 4, Uncle Mo--Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats), a half-brother to Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), MGISW, $2,777,458, delivered as the even-money favorite in his 4-year-old debut here. The 'TDN Rising Star' was off to a slow start, but recovered nicely to advance into fourth through an opening quarter in :23.11. Locked and loaded but stuck in traffic approaching the quarter pole, Star of Wonder found racing room along the rail as they straightened for home and kicked...

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Purchased Privately by Wathnan Racing, Gotham Up Next for Sharp Maiden Winner Flood Zone

Flood Zone (c, 3, Frosted--Curls for Girls, by Curlin) is heading straight into the deep end. Purchased privately by Wathnan Racing and transferred to Brad Cox following a flashy maiden win versus Florida-breds going 6 1/2 furlongs at second asking at Gulfstream Park Jan. 4, the bay will stretch to a one-turn mile for Saturday's GIII Gotham Stakes at the Big A. The Gotham, co-headlined by unbeaten New York-breds 'TDN Rising Star' Sand Devil (Violence) and Sacrosanct (Honest Mischief), offers 105 points (50-25-15-10-5) on the road to the GI Kentucky...

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Practical Joke's Captain Cook Romps for 'Rising Star' Honors at the Big A

Captain Cook (c, 2, Practical Joke--Pow Wow Wow, by Indian Charlie), an eventful sixth on debut for owner/breeder Marylou Whitney Stables and trainer Norm Casse at Churchill Downs Oct. 27, brought $410,000 from bloodstock agent Steve Young on behalf of St Elias Stable at the Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale (second-most expensive lot of the sale) and ran to the money as the 1-2 favorite for his new connections with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance in the slop at the Big A Saturday. Captain Cook chased the early...

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High Winds Force Cancellation Of Aqueduct's Thursday Card

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has canceled live racing on Thursday at Aqueduct Racetrack due to high winds forecast to impact New York City throughout the day, the track said in a release early on Thursday morning. The National Weather Service called for sustained high winds on Thursday with gusts approaching 50 mph. As of 8:00 a.m. ET., New York City is under a high wind advisory. As a result of these conditions, NYRA canceled the eight-race card. The Big A will remain open for simulcasting. Live racing...

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Dettori Unseated at Starting Gate in Big A Finale, Taken to Hospital for Further Evaluation

Globe-trotting jockey Frankie Dettori was unseated from his mount at the starting gate prior to the start of the ninth race at Aqueduct Thursday and has been taken to Jamaica Hospital for further evaluation. NYRA publicity also reported that he was able to walk himself over to the ambulance. His mount, the 2-year-old filly Pretty Liza (Kantharos), was scratched and ponied back to the barn area. She is trained by Rudy Rodriguez. The race, a six-furlong maiden special weight on grass, was won by the Mike Maker-trained first-time starter Miriam's...

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Uncle Mo Colt Puts on a 'Show' for 'Rising Star' Honors

Showcase (c, 2, Uncle Mo--Buy Sell Hold, by Violence) fired back-to-back bullets at Todd Pletcher's Saratoga base, including a four-furlong move in :48 3/5 (1/64) out of the gate over the Oklahoma training track June 21, and delivered as advertised as the 3-5 favorite to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors on debut at the Big A Saturday. Drawn widest of all in post five, Showcase traveled nicely beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. in an outside second, hit the front while racing in between rivals approaching the quarter pole and took off...

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Cairo Prince Colt Unmatched Wisdom Smart on Debut at the Big A

7th-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 5-10, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:35.57, my, 6 1/4 lengths. UNMATCHED WISDOM (c, 3, Cairo Prince--Glide On By, by Pure Prize), a $25,000 KEESEP yearling turned $450,000 OBSMAR breezer, kicked off his career with a sharp debut score going a one-turn mile in the Aqueduct mud. Overlooked at 6-1, he forced the issue from an outside second through early fractions of :23.26 and :46.53. He turned up the heat on the far turn, kicked for home as the one to catch and had 6 1/4 lengths...

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