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Big Q seeks second stakes win in $500K NYSSS Fifth Avenue

by Ryan Martin

DutchessViews Farm's Big Q was full of answers in winning her first stakes race last out. She'll try to mirror that effort in Sunday's $500,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series' Fifth Avenue at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 35th running of the NYSSS Fifth Avenue for juvenile fillies, along with Saturday's NYSSS Great White Way for juveniles, are the richest sire stakes races in the country offering a half-million dollar purse to each.

Trained by Gary Gullo, Big Q was a five-length winner of the Key Cents on November 16 at the Big A, earning a field-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure. The bay daughter of Big Brown, bred in the Empire State by Golden Goose Enterprises, was twice fifth against stakes company, including the Grade 2 Adirondack at Saratoga.

Big Q, who breezed three furlongs in 38.88 seconds on the Belmont training track on Sunday, broke her maiden at first asking by a half-length on Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course at 14-1 odds.

"I think that she'll run a big race," said Gullo, who won the Fifth Avenue with Dancewiththebride in 1997. "Right now, she's training well and doing everything right. We caught good weather this week and worked her at the right time, so all is good. She's one of those horses that's a fighter. She always had trained well, had ability and the right attitude."

Jockey Jose Lezcano, who piloted Big Q in her last three outings, will be back aboard from the rail.

Two graded stakes-placed fillies from the Mike Maker barn will seek a stakes win against their New York-sired counterpart.

Time Limit and A Freud of Mama were a respective second and third in the Grade 3 Matron on October 5 over the Belmont Park turf to Alms.

Owned by Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm, Time Limit won her career debut over the main track at Belmont in June before three eventual stakes placings. Prior to finishing second in the Matron, she was a close second in the Seeking the Ante at Saratoga and was third to Big Q last out in the Key Cents. She brags the highest bankroll in the field with $129,700.

Jockey Jorge Vargas, Jr. will be aboard from post 7.

William Butler's homebred A Freud of Mama will make her first start on dirt following five previous starts on grass.

The daughter of leading New York sire Freud broke her maiden over the Widener turf course in September before two stakes starts against open company. After running third in the Matron, she finished sixth after a troubled start in the Stewart Manor over the Big A turf.

Jockey Manny Franco guided A Freud of Mama to her maiden win and will be reunited with the filly when she leaves from post 6.

Trainer Linda Rice has won three editions of the Fifth Avenue and will saddle maiden claiming winner Officer Hutchy.

A Green Polka Farms homebred, Officer Hutchy raced for a $40,000 tag at the Big A first out where the daughter of Boys At Tosconova came off the pace and up the rail to win by a head.

Rice's previous Fifth Avenue victors were Princess Sweet (2005), Canadian Ballet (2007) and Miss Narcissist (2013).

Jockey Dylan Davis has the call from post 8.

Completing the field are Sure Stitch [post 2, Junior Alvarado], Classy Sadie [post 3, Eric Cancel], Jimmys Lass [post 4, Hector Diaz,Jr.], Desbordes [post 5, Reylu Gutierrez], Bank Sting [post 9, Luis Rodriguez Castro], Central Exit [post 10, Joey Martinez] and Holmdel Park [post 11, Kendrick Carmouche].

The Fifth Avenue is slated as Race 8 on Sunday's nine-race card. First post is 12:30 p.m. Eastern.