Albus punches ticket to Kentucky Derby with thrilling G2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino score

• Albus punches ticket to Kentucky Derby with thrilling G2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino score
• G2 Wood Memorial runner-up Right to Party lands enough points for Kentucky Derby
• Point Dume earns 101 BSF for G2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets
• Book’em Danno on to G3 True North following G2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets second
• Always a Runner secures Kentucky Oaks spot in G3 Gazelle
• Pashmina earns possible Kentucky Oaks berth with runner-up try in G3 Gazelle
• Sigler proud of Yo Daddy’s elusive stakes victory in Listed Excelsior
• Gratefully, Time to Roll set for upcoming stakes engagements

Trainer Riley Mott knew it would be a big ask for sophomore colt Albus to go from a one-mile and 40-yard maiden victory to the nine-furlong Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, but the colt responded with aplomb to win the prestigious test from well off-the-pace on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack and punch his ticket to Louisville for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

Campaigned by Pin Oak Stud, the son of Yaupon passed the test with flying colors after tracking in eighth-of-12 down the backstretch under Jaime Torres. He advanced with purpose in the turn and a spot opened up between rivals at the top of the lane for him to show an impressive turn-of-foot and draw off to the 1 1/4-length score over Right to Party in a final time of 1:51.71. The effort earned an 83 Beyer Speed Figure, and awarded him with the maximum allotment of the 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points on offer.

Mott said the effort, which came with a trip opposite to his prominent maiden victory, gives him confidence heading into a race like the Kentucky Derby.

“He came back covered in mud, and Jaime said he wasn’t fazed at all by the kickback – going around horses, splitting horses in a big field,” Mott said. “It showed a lot of professionalism. I don’t think the number came back that strong, but he did it in a very workmanlike fashion, and that gives you confidence potentially going into a 20-horse field.”

Albus, who scratched from the Grade 1 Florida Derby to run at the Big A, made just his fourth start in the Wood, and his second of this campaign after his maiden victory last out on February 27 at Tampa Bay Downs. Though it was a tall task to jump into graded company for Albus’ first try against winners, Mott believed the talented colt would give a good account of himself.

“I was quietly confident in the horse leading up to the race based on how he was doing and how I thought he’d fit in the field,” Mott said. “Down the backside, I was very pleased with the rhythm that he was in, and the pace scenario in front of him. When Jaime just started gradually picking it up going into the turn, it gave me a lot of confidence that he would be right there. It was certainly nice to see him split horses and open up at the eighth pole.”

Mott added Albus emerged from the effort in good order and is slated to leave Belmont Park for Louisville on Monday.

“So far, so good – jogged up well this morning and looks fine,” Mott said. “He ships to Churchill Downs tomorrow.”

And Albus won’t be the only horse Mott will have to look forward to on Derby day. He trains Virginia Derby-winner Incredibolt for Pin Oak Stud as well, and the son of Bolt d’Oro earned his place in the Derby starting gate for his four-length romp on March 14 at Colonial Downs.

Both Incredibolt and Albus were piloted by Torres in their Kentucky Derby prep victories, and Mott was full of praise for the dual Grade 1-winning jockey.

“He’s a very cool, calm and collected guy,” Mott said. “He walks into the paddock and you can just sense the confidence in him. The moment doesn’t get to him at all and he acts like a seasoned veteran, which he’s getting to be at this point. He’s been around for a few years now and is starting to win some nice races and prove himself on the top circuits. We’ve clicked really well together over the last few years.”

Mott, who went out on his own just four years ago, said it is beginning to sink in how special the First Saturday in May will be this year.

“It’s paramount. It’s what we strive for, to compete in those types of races – not just the Kentucky Derby, but we want to be in the mix for Breeders’ Cups and all the big races around the country,” Mott said. “To have two horses for the Kentucky Derby is extremely special, and hopefully we can keep the two horses happy and healthy and have a special month leading up to the Derby.”

***
G2 Wood Memorial runner-up Right to Party lands enough points for Kentucky Derby

Chester Broman, Sr.’s dual graded stakes-placed Right to Party finished a deep-closing second in Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack, earning 50 Kentucky Derby points and bringing his total to 65 after a third-place finish here in the Grade 3 Gotham. The son of Constitution was subsequently nominated to the Triple Crown by trainer Ken McPeek and now sits in 12th position on the Derby leaderboard.

Right to Party showed an eye-catching turn-of-foot in the nine-furlong Wood Memorial, where he was in 11th-of-12 at the half-mile call under Chris Elliott. He angled out from the inside midway through the final turn and made up ground with every stride before angling out even wider to the center of the course in the stretch and running on gamely to edge Ocelli out of place honors and land 1 1/4 lengths back of the victorious Albus.

“That was exactly what we expected,” McPeek said post-race. “We thought he would step forward with the added distance. Maybe if he could have wiggled his way through the inside he gets there, but that’s still a very respectable race.”

McPeek said Right to Party relished the added furlong and two turns after finishing third in the one-turn mile Grade 3 Gotham on February 28 at the Big A with a rally from last-of-8.

“This horse just needed the added distance,” said McPeek, who upset the 2024 Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan. “The horse had a really good winter and he’s obviously on the improve. This horse understands the task at hand, and he keeps coming and coming. The team up there has done a really good job with him, and it was great to watch.”

Jimmy Jerkens, McPeek’s New York assistant, said Right to Party was in good order Sunday morning at Belmont Park.

“He came back good, and he showed a lot of guts,” Jerkens said. “He always gets in a lot of traffic because of his running style, but he deals with it and when you get him out in the clear, he comes running.”

Bred in Kentucky by Tony Holmes and Timothy C. Thornton, Right to Party was a $325,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the Emcee mare Havin’ a Party, a half-sister to Loving Vindication, dam of Grade 1-winner Hard Not to Love and 2018 Canadian Horse of the Year Wonder Gadot.

***
Point Dume earns 101 BSF for G2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets

Bush Racing Stable’s Point Dume fended off Champion Male Sprinter Book’em Danno by a neck on the front end to capture Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Carter presented by NYRA Bets, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trainer Tim Kreiser picked up his first graded career win as the 5-year-old Into Mischief gelding, a $40,000 claim in July, wired the field under Edwin Gonzalez in a final time of 1:22.53. The performance earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure and will keep the bay running in high-level races, although the trainer still needs to determine a next spot.

“He looked really good this morning, walking around the barn like a soldier,” Kreiser said. “He ran a really good race. They put heat on him early, turning for home, he dispatched that one [Acoustic Ave] and then the big challenger. That’s his game. That’s how he likes it, he wants to look them in the eye. I think I’d rather go longer than shorter with him, we’ll sit down and talk it out.”

The 62-year-old Kreiser said his first graded win was a long time coming and was extra special for Bryan Bushey of Bush Racing Stables, who has been battling cancer.

“He lives close to Penn National, and I see him a little more than his son [David]. His son is who usually calls me, and we discuss claiming horses. That’s what we do. Basically, it is a claiming outfit,” said Kreiser. “The father is obviously going through issues right now and it was emotional because yesterday just happened to be his 68th birthday. That was pretty crazy. It’s a special ride for us.”

Point Dume, bred in Kentucky by Sea Horse Breeders, is out of the dual Grade 1-placed Malibu Moon mare Maya Malibu. He was originally a $450,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and was initially trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. He improved his record to 31-11-7-3.

***
Book’em Danno on to G3 True North following G2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets second

Atlantic Six Racing’s Book’em Danno, the reigning Champion Male Sprinter, missed by a neck to the victorious frontrunner Point Dume in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Carter presented by NYRA Bets, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Derek Ryan, the 5-year-old Bucchero gelding returned from a seven-month layoff in the seven-furlong sprint for older horses with regular rider Paco Lopez at the helm.

“He came out of it fine, no problems. He ate up last night - he's good to go,” said Ryan on Sunday morning.

Book’em Danno exited post 2-of-5 and bumped with a rival at the break, lost position early, and had to settle for saving ground in fourth position as Point Dume showed the way through splits of 23.01 seconds and 45.70 over the fast main track. Lopez was riding hard through the turn and navigated Book’em Danno out to the four path for the stretch run to take aim at the leader, but he could not reel in Point Dume, who secured the narrow win in a final time of 1:22.53. Book’em Danno earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure in defeat – just shy of Point Dume’s 101 number.

“He got bumped pretty good coming out of the gate and was in a little bit of a pocket there, but all in all, we got a good race into him,” Ryan said. “I'd like to win, but you can't win them all. Considering he was about 85 percent ready, he'll be 100 percent for the next one.”

Book’em Danno’s Eclipse Award-winning campaign included wins at Saratoga Race Course in the Grade 3 True North in June, Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt in July and Grade 1 Forego last out on August 23. Additionally, he won a handicap last March at Colonial Downs ahead of a neck fourth to Mindframe in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs in May.

Ryan said the eight-time stakes winner Book’em Danno will return to the Spa for a title defense in both the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3, $400,000 True North on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Forego on August 29. His year-end goal is the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint on October 31 at Keeneland.

“He'll move forward off that race,” Ryan said of the Carter effort. “I was probably one more work from having him where I wanted him. It's the start of the year and the big picture is down the road. We want him 100 percent come the fall - the Breeders' Cup is the main goal.

“His next spot will be Saratoga on Belmont Stakes Day,” Ryan continued. “He's bigger and stronger this year. We'll have the two races in Saratoga and then the Breeders' Cup. That's the plan at the moment.”

Book’em Danno is out of the unraced Ghostzapper mare Adorabella, who also produced dual stakes-winner Girl Trouble. He has banked in excess of $1.9 million via a 17-10-4-1 ledger.

***
Always a Runner secures Kentucky Oaks spot in G3 Gazelle

Douglas Scharbauer and Three Chimneys Farm’s Always a Runner collared the pacesetting Pashmina late to win Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle, a nine-furlong route for sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack. In victory, the Chad Brown-trained daughter of Gun Runner secured the maximum allotment of 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Oaks points on offer to the top-five finishers.

“She looks good this morning,” said Brown on Easter Sunday. “I’ll speak to the owners later today; I’m inclined to go on to the Oaks with her. She’s only ran twice, but she looks super this morning. You deal with 14 horses instead of 20, I just don’t think there’s a whole lot of risk running her in that type of race.
She’s very talented and it keeps me on a schedule with her for the summer. I don’t see an alternative race that’s ‘safer for her.’ If she comes out of this and trains well, I will ship her over to Churchill. She will have one local work here in about two weeks, then she’ll ship over.”

Always a Runner closed from 6th-of-8 under Dylan Davis to secure the 1 1/4-length win in a final time of 1:50.97, which was faster than the 1:51.71 the sophomore Kentucky Derby aspirants ran in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino one race later.

Always a Runner earned a career-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure and improved her record to 2-for-2. She graduated at first asking on February 6 at Tampa Bay Downs, powering clear to a 6 1/2-length victory in a one-mile and 40-yard maiden, then missing time due to a temperature, which occurred earlier in her career as well.

“I expected her to run well,” Brown said. “I only worked her three times [since her win], three-eighths, two halves, and she won. She is really talented, this horse. I’d say she was 75 percent fit.”

St. Elias Stable, William H. Lawrence and Glassman Racing’s Iron Honor was the favorite in the Wood Memorial, but settled for a 4 1/4-length seventh. The Nyquist bay exited the outermost post 12 under Manny Franco, brushed with Red Zone Runner into the first turn and did not settle in thereafter.

“That was a rough race. We knew when he drew wide, there was a risk of having trouble into that first turn,” said Brown. “The horse from Parx absolutely knocked him off stride into the first turn. After that, according to Manny, when he got hit, he lost his hind end and he tried to push that horse back in, when that happened, he just grabbed the bit and was pulling down the backside. He ended up in a fine stalking position, albeit very wide, but he was doing it under a hard hold. By the three-eighths marker, he [Franco] could feel he was losing him a bit. He just never relaxed after he got hit in the first turn.”

Iron Honor was previously 2-for-2, equipped with blinkers in every start thus far, including a win in the one-turn mile Grade 3 Gotham on February 28 here that earned 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

“I have to reevaluate what I’m doing with this horse,” Brown said. “Early conversations with the ownership group, it looks like he could be more of a Preakness horse to get over that sort of rough of a race, and giving me six weeks into a race like that might be more of a realistic situation. Maybe after that rough of an experience, stepping up in a harder race with 20 horses in four weeks, it doesn’t feel right, but I’m not going to make any decision about that until I see how the horse comes out.”

Brown has already qualified Klaravich Stables’ undefeated Grade 2 Louisiana Derby-winner Emerging Market for the Kentucky Derby. He said he’ll take some time before making a decision on a next start for Iron Honor, who is currently 21st in the Kentucky Derby points standings for one of 20 spots in the starting gate.

“He certainly looks like he had a rough trip this morning. He’s not lame, but he has some bumps and bruises, that’s for sure. We have some things to work on the next three days, see how we can heal them up. Let’s see how he comes out of this and go from there,” said Brown. “We’ll make a final decision; we may take the whole two weeks to do that. Finally, I’d say at this point after three runs, maybe we’d take the blinkers off. He was initially a very unfocused horse as a 2-year-old last year, it was night-and-day difference in the morning [with blinkers] and it worked his first two starts… Now that he has some racing under his belt, he’s getting a little bit too much on the engine, I’ll probably tinker with that, too.”

Brown scratched Three Chimneys Farm’s Kentucky homebred Ottinho from the Wood in favor of Saturday’s Grade 1 Blue Grass, a similar nine-furlong 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifier at Keeneland, where the son of Quality Road finished second.

Ottinho added blinkers and was piloted by Flavien Prat to a rallying 11-length second to Further Ado. He now has 56 Derby points with six from an additional third in the nine-furlong Listed Withers at Aqueduct and sits in 15th in the Kentucky Derby points standings.

“That’s what I hoped for when I pivoted and sent him over there,” Brown said. “The way it looked on paper, that race really unfolded like I thought it would. Flavien and I had a plan to sit back, hoping for a three or four-way duel, at some point with people moving for position on the backside. Sure enough, it developed exactly the way we thought. I loved his trip; he was alone back there and able to pick up the pieces. I thought that was his ceiling for that race and I was very pleased with second. The winner was super good, I knew that horse [Further Ado] was training good at Payson where we are and knew he likes Keeneland, so I wasn’t confused that he’d likely be the winner when Paladin scratched.”

Brown said he still has to discuss with Three Chimneys Farm chairman Goncalo Torrealba about whether Ottinho will try the Kentucky Derby. Ottinho is a half-brother to Hall of Famer Gun Runner and a full-brother to the Brown-trained Grade 3-winner Pretty Ana, out of the Grade 2-winning Giant’s Causeway mare Quiet Giant.

***
Pashmina earns possible Kentucky Oaks berth with runner-up try in G3 Gazelle

Red White and Blue Racing’s Pashmina may have punched her ticked to the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks with a pacesetting runner-up effort to Always a Runner in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Rob Atras and piloted by Ramon Vazquez, the Constitution bay picked up 50 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points in the nine-furlong route for sophomore fillies to bring her total to 63 – good for the 14th and final spot in the starting gate on the first Friday in May at Churchill Downs. Pashmina added to points earned from a third and fourth in the Untapable [3 points] in December and Silverbulletday [4 points] in January, respectively, at Fair Grounds Race Course ahead of a troubled third in the Sunland Park Oaks [6 points] on February 15.

Pashmina showed the way through splits of 23.84 seconds, 48.51 and 1:13 flat over the fast main track in the Gazelle, and spurted clear to a 2 1/2-length advantage at the stretch call as Always a Runner took dead aim from second position. The Chad Brown-trained Always a Runner chased gamely and put a head in front 40 yards from the wire, as Pashmina jumped track marks, with the former going on to win by 1 1/4-lengths in a final time of 1:50.97.

“It’s a tough way to get beat. You lead the whole way; you put some more separation like you took off again and then you get nailed,” Atras said. “The way I look at it – the big picture – she ran an awesome race and stepped up and ran the race we thought she could run. I couldn’t be more proud of her.”

Atras said he was surprised later Saturday night when he realized his filly had qualified for the Oaks.

“Initially, we thought we didn’t have enough points to get in, and I thought ‘at least we can go to the Black-Eyed Susan.’ And then I saw the list,” Atras said, with a laugh. “It [the Oaks] will definitely be considered but I haven’t talked to the owners yet.

“I was really impressed with her performance yesterday,” he added. “I wasn’t sure she’d be on the lead because there were horses coming out of sprints, but she was right there and nobody was asserting themselves, so I can’t blame Ramon. She likes to be forwardly placed anyway.”

Pashmina graduated at second asking in November at Fair Grounds with a prominent trip and was a 4 1/2-length pacesetting third in the Untapable at the Louisiana oval where she was pinched back at the three-sixteenths. After stalking a slow pace when fourth in the Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds, she again endured a troubled trip when impeded by eventual winner Bottle of Rouge in the Sunland Park Oaks on February 15. 

The two runners directly behind Pashmina in the Oaks points standings are third-place Gazelle favorite Paradise [62.5 points] and the aforementioned Bottle of Rouge [57.5 points], who exited the Sunland Park Oaks to win the Virginia Oaks.

“I thought yesterday was a professional effort from the last time she was on the lead. Even when she broke her maiden, she was a little green down the lane,” Atras said. “In her first stakes, she got on the lead and got a little lost out there before getting sandwiched.

“I think she was very professional,” Atras added, regarding the Gazelle. “I don’t think she stopped by any means; she just got run down by what I think is a pretty special horse that Chad has.”

Atras said the improving Pashmina continued to impress him.

“It’s a lot for a 3-year-old filly and she’s a May foal, too, so she’s not even three yet and she seems to be improving every start. It’s nice to have a really nice filly like that,” Atras said. “She came out of it really good. One thing with her, she’s shipped to different tracks and handled it well. She handles her races really well and I’m happy with her this morning.”

Pashmina was a $350,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale and is out of the Super Saver mare Panthera Onca, who finished second in the Ruthless and third in the Listed Busher in 2020 at the Big A. Her second dam is Grade 3-winner Molto Vita, who was twice Grade 1-placed.

Atras also sent out BellaBlue Racing Stable’s Otello to a distant fifth-place finish in the 10-furlong Listed Excelsior on the Wood Memorial undercard. The 5-year-old Curlin chestnut showed the way through the opening half-mile before tiring in an event won by Yo Daddy.

The difference in efforts from his two stakes charges were as varied as the weather on a well-attended afternoon at the Big A that saw the sun shining early in the card when Atras saddled Otello in Race 3 before rain and colder weather settled in later in the afternoon when the fillies took to the track in Race 11 for the Gazelle.

“We were in a different season,” said Atras, with a laugh, regarding saddling Pashmina. “I was sweating in the paddock with no vest on for Otello and then I had the vest on, and I was freezing, and it was two hours apart. That was wild.”
Atras said Otello had no excuses against a salty field.

“I don’t think it was his ‘A’ race. He can run a better race. Also, that was tough competition,” Atras said. “Those horses really ran. We got to the lead, but they were pressing us. They went by us early and really took off down the lane. That was visually a very impressive race by Yo Daddy.”

***
Sigler proud of Yo Daddy’s elusive stakes victory in Listed Excelsior

Steve Sigler’s Winning Move Stable claimed Yo Daddy for $50,000 out of a win in April 2024 at Keeneland, and have since enjoyed on-the-board efforts from the bay in 14-of-17 starts for trainer Linda Rice, including a pair of Grade 3 placings. A stakes win eluded him for two seasons with Rice, but that all changed Saturday when he captured the $150,000 Listed Excelsior for older horses going 10 furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“You aspire to own a horse like this that gives you a thrill every race,” Sigler said. “You know he’s going to make the move and try hard, and yesterday was the day that we were able to celebrate with his first stakes win. It was extremely gratifying.”

Piloted to victory by Jose Lezcano, Yo Daddy tracked in fourth through the first three-quarters as Otello set a pressured early pace through splits of 24.66 seconds and 50.34 over the fast main track before being headed by Interceptor. Yo Daddy ranged up wide outside of Interceptor and Classicist through one-mile in 1:38.85, and drove home strongly down the lane to win by 1 3/4 lengths in a final time of 2:03.73. He equaled his career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure in victory. 

Yo Daddy entered from a second to Komorebino Omoide in the one-turn mile Stymie on February 28, and won a nine-furlong optional claimer on February 4 here off an eight-month respite. The Excelsior victory came in his sixth stakes attempt for his current connections, and his seventh stakes start overall. The win was also part of a five-race win streak for Rice that began in the Race 7 finale on Friday and continued with a sweep of the first four races on Saturday’s card at the Big A.

“He came out of his race perfect, and I was extremely confident in this race,” Sigler said. “His race first off an eight-month layoff was so good, and then he tried at a mile last time. I didn’t think - I knew - that yesterday was the day. There was inside speed, and he likes to be on the outside. He’s a great-looking horse, and Linda loves him. I think his best races are still ahead of him, and he’s been great own.”

Sigler said he is dreaming of even bigger goals with Yo Daddy, which may include the 10-furlong Grade 2, $500,000 Suburban presented by Subourbon Life on July 4 at Saratoga Race Course.

“I would say the Suburban,” Sigler said. “He relaxes now in his races and makes his run when his rider signals him.”

Yo Daddy, a son of Yoshida, now boasts a career record of 24-8-6-5 and total purse earnings of nearly $600,000.

Sigler also provided an update on Winning Move Stable’s co-owned multiple stakes-winner With the Angels, who scratched from Saturday’s Grade 3 Distaff at the Big A. The New York-bred daughter of Omaha Beach was last seen posting a career-best 93 Beyer for her first open-company stakes win in the six-furlong Correction for Rice on March 1 here.

“There’s not a single thing physically wrong with her – she ran a huge race last time, and Linda said she’s working fine and is doing good, but she ran her lifetime best four weeks ago with a 93 Beyer and a very good number on the Ragozin sheets, and mentally, she needs the eight weeks between races to fully recoup from that race,” Sigler said.

Sigler added the next likely target for With the Angels is the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3, $175,000 Vagrancy on May 3 at the Big A.

***
Gratefully, Time to Roll set for upcoming stakes engagements

Adelphi Racing Club, Shelly Hume and Russel Hume’s undefeated Gratefully is slated to make her next start in the Grade 2 Giant’s Causeway on April 12 at Keeneland ahead of a potential try in the Grade 2, $250,000 Intercontinental on June 4 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Robert Falcone, Jr, the 4-year-old Laoban filly is a perfect 5-for-5, taking her first three outings in New York before a pair of six-furlong turf sprint scores at Santa Anita Park topped by a last-out win in the restricted Wishing Well over Saratoga Special in her stakes debut.

Gratefully worked a half-mile in 47.60 seconds March 30 at Santa Anita before shipping to Kentucky for a try in the 5 1/2-furlong Giant’s Causeway.

Matt Cutair, managing partner of Adelphi Racing Club, said he’s looking forward to seeing Gratefully step into graded company for the first time.

“She had her last work at Santa Anita and then shipped to Keeneland. We'll run her there unless the turf comes up soft then we might shift,” said Cutair. “The longer term plan would be to run her in the Intercontinental on Belmont Stakes week if all goes well.”

After a pair of off-the-turf scores, Gratefully made her turf debut in her third outing with a pacesetting nose score in a six-furlong optional-claimer with Dylan Davis aboard on October 26 here to complete her sophomore season. She made her seasonal debut on January 8 at Santa Anita and traveled in third position early before pouncing to the lead and scoring by 3 3/4-lengths under Umberto Rispoli.

Last out, on February 21 in the Wishing Well with Florent Geroux up, Gratefully was on the engine and held on bravely to win by a head over Saratoga Special, who will reoppose in the Giant’s Causeway.

“It took a couple years off my life that stakes in California,” Cutair said, with a laugh. “If you go back and watch that first turf race in New York, she's so naturally fast that she makes the lead and then just waited on the other horse. Once the other horse came to her, she digs in and fights to get her nose in front and then she galloped out real nice in both those races.

“Her best race visually was her first race in California - she almost accidentally found herself a little further back than usual,” continued Cutair. “With the configuration of the six-furlong start they go over the dirt as they break and she jumped and got herself a little further back. She settled beautifully for Rispoli and once he asked her, she was game and push-button.”

Cutair said he’s hopeful that Gratefully might find a stalking trip in the Giant’s Causeway.

“Hopefully, there might be a couple horses that are slightly naturally faster than her and she can sit a little bit off of it,” Cutair said. “She's dead game to want to run down horses. The only negative is when she makes the lead early, she wants to wait.”

Cutair said he feels Gratefully has earned a shot in graded company and is looking forward to the experience.

“She's really talented, super well-bred and loves her job,” Cutair said.

Adelphi Racing Club and Chief Horse Futures’ New York-bred Time to Roll is pointing towards a start in the Listed $150,000 Bay Shore, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores on April 18 at the Big A.

Trained by Horacio DePaz, the Not This Time colt has banked $140,290 via a 6-2-1-1 ledger with all but his first outing arriving on the main track. He has made a pair of local starts this year, landing a distant third to Arctic Beast sprinting seven furlongs in the state-bred Damon Runyon on February 14 ahead of a one-length second to Igniter when facing open company in the six-furlong Jimmy Winkfield on March 14.

“If all goes well, the lean at this point is the Bay Shore,” Cutair said. “It was nice to see him bounce back last time on a more fair track and run the kind of race we thought he could run.

“He's the kind of horse that wants to be outside in the clear and does better when he can sit a little off of it and make a run,” Cutair continued. “What he wanted to do [in the Damon Runyon] was the exact opposite of how the track was playing and Arctic Beast is a very good horse, of course.”

Cutair said the $270,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase – a two time state-bred winner here as a juvenile – is learning with each and every start.

“He's doing everything on raw ability still. He's still figuring out what racing is all about,” Cutair said. “We're still figuring him out - he has turf breeding; does he want to go a bit longer or shorter? We're landing more on the fact he's a sprinter and at some point, we'll try him back on the turf because he’s bred for that.”

Time to Roll is out of the Grade 3-placed Medaglia d’Oro mare My Galina. His third dam is multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Stellar Jayne.

LJSS Thoroughbreds, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Adelphi Racing Club’s One Nine Hundred could be headed for a start in the six-furlong Grade 3, $175,000 John A. Nerud on May 9 here.

The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Dialed In has banked $216,300 through an 8-3-1-3 ledger with each victory coming in six-furlong sprints at the Big A. One Nine Hundred was last seen finishing a pacesetting three-quarter length third in the Grade 3 Tom Fool on February 28 here and he worked back five-eighths in 1:02.65 on March 29 over the Belmont Park dirt training track.

“We want to try and keep him at six furlongs if we can. There's an allowance at Keeneland later in the month and also the Nerud. We'll take it a breeze at a time and see how he's doing,” Cutair said. “He had a nice work last week and he's doing well.”

Pandagate, co-owned by Adelphi Racing Club with Madaket Stables, Corms Racing Stable and On The Rise Again Stable and trained by Miguel Clement, was a standout sophomore in the New York-bred dirt division, taking Aqueduct’s Gander, Saratoga’s Albany and Finger Lakes Racetrack’s New York Derby in 2024.

The impressive 3-year-old campaign included a trip to Meydan Racecourse where he finished a 6 3/4-length third to the victorious Forever Young in the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby.

Last year, the son of Arrogate made just one start, finishing fourth in an open-company allowance in August at Saratoga. After a rehab stint at WinStar Farm in Kentucky, Pandagate has breezed twice at Payson Park, including a half-mile effort in 52 flat on March 31.

“He’s doing well. He's a horse that owes us nothing,” Cutair said. “He had an injury that sidelined him going into last year's campaign and then he came out of his first race with a bit of an issue, so we gave him a ton of time and we'll give him one more good shot.

“One good thing about owning a New York-bred is that even though he was a three-time stakes winner as a 3-year-old, he's still an open ‘1X’ eligible horse in New York the way the conditions are written,” Cutair added. “He has a lot of conditions in front of him if he can come back right and stay sound.”

Pandagate, bred in the Empire State by Fred W. Hertrich, III, boasts an 8-4-0-3 record with $452,190 in purse earnings.