NYRA Photo

Breakfastatbonnies to make stakes debut in Broadway

by Mary Eddy

Jonathan Thorne and R. A. Hill Stable’s Breakfastatbonnies will look to secure her first career stakes win when taking on six rivals in Sunday’s $100,000 Broadway for New York-bred fillies and mares 4-years-old and up at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Danny Gargan, the daughter of Laoban enters the Broadway off an impressive 7 3/4-length optional claiming romp under Jose Lezcano on December 11 at the Big A, setting the pace for the six furlongs over the sloppy and sealed main track to win comfortably over next-out winner and stakes-placed Eloquent Speaker.

“She trains phenomenal. We’ve had a couple issues with sickness with her; that’s why she doesn’t run that much,” Gargan said. “But physically, she’s doing phenomenal. The key will be to see how she runs without Lasix.”

Breakfastatbonnies announced her presence on debut with a resounding maiden special weight triumph going six furlongs at the Big A in January 2021, opening up 11 1/4 lengths on the field in a final time of 1:12.15. She went on to finish third in her first start against winners before earning her second career win at the allowance level in a 5 1/2-furlong off-the-turf sprint at Saratoga in July.

The dark bay filly’s impressive win last time out came on the heels of a narrow defeat in the same condition, beaten a half-length by returning rival Awillaway on November 13 when she broke sixth of seven and was rushed up by Luis Saez to set the pace.

“She broke last and then went too fast,” Gargan said of the effort. “She’s a cool, big, beautiful filly. She’s talented; it will be fun to watch her run.”

While Breakfastatbonnies has been on the lead in all but one of her starts, Gargan said he believes the filly can sit off the pace as well, citing her impressive maiden score when she sat a length off the pace in third.

“When she runs her race, she’s tough. She doesn’t have to have the lead. I know Rob Atras’ filly [Sadie Lady] is in there and I’d like to sit behind her,” said Gargan. “I don’t want to be on the lead. She doesn’t have to be on the lead. Everyone thinks she needs the lead, but I think she’s better if she sits second or third.” 

A full-sister to Rego Park winner Barese, who is entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Gander at the Big A, Breakfastatbonnies posted a half-mile bullet over the Belmont training track in her final preparation for the Broadway, breezing in 48.22 seconds.

Jose Lezcano retains the mount from the outermost post 7.

Dennis Narlinger’s Sadie Lady enters the Broadway off a fourth in the Garland of Roses at the Big A on December 11, finishing behind stakes winner Glass Ceiling and Broadway aspirant Letmetakethiscall.

Sadie Lady displayed her usual running style in the Garland of Roses, skipping through an opening quarter-mile in 22.27 seconds and a half-mile in 45.63 under Kendrick Carmouche before fading in the stretch to hold onto fourth by a nose.

The first of Sadie Lady’s two stakes wins last year came in the Correction in March when besting Call on Mischief by a head three months after soundly defeating her in an optional claimer by 2 1/2 lengths. Sadie Lady then finished a game second in her graded stakes debut, setting the pace in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Vagrancy at Belmont Park before being collared at the top of the stretch and holding onto second by a nose over multiple graded stakes winner Pacific Gale.

Cutting back a half-furlong in her next outing, Sadie Lady took last year’s edition of the Dancin Renee at Belmont by 1 1/2 lengths in her penultimate start before a four-month layoff that ended with her start in the Garland of Roses.

Atras said Sadie Lady has always appreciated racing at the Big A where she boasts a 5-for-9 record, including her victory against open company in the six-furlong Correction.

"She gets over this track real well," Atras said. "At times, it can be a bit speed favoring as we've seen this meet. She likes the tighter turns here and does quite well at Aqueduct."

Atras credited the connections with doing right by the mare, who has banked $418,232 through four seasons of racing, competing mainly in sprints at 6 1/2-furlongs or less.

"They've done a really good job managing her. When she needs time off, she gets time off," Atras said. "They freshened her up a little bit in Florida and she always comes back real good from that. She's doing really well."

Kendrick Carmouche seeks his fourth win aboard Sadie Lady from post 4.

Three Diamonds Farm’s Time Limit will attempt to win her second straight stake after taking down Laurel Park’s six-furlong What A Summer last time out for trainer Mike Maker. The 5-year-old daughter of Bustin Stones enters the Broadway with a consistent 5-5-5 record from 17 starts, winning or finishing on the board in all eight of her starts in 2021.

Time Limit got off to a successful start as a 2-year-old, winning her five-furlong debut at Belmont Park by 6 1/4 lengths before making her next six starts in stakes company. The chestnut mare made her graded stakes debut in the Grade 3 Matron at Belmont in October 2019, finishing second to multiple graded stakes winner Alms by 1 1/4 lengths.

With two more stakes placings, Time Limit wrapped up her juvenile season in December 2019 and was away from the races for more than a year before returning with a winning optional claiming effort in an off-the-turf six-furlong sprint at Belmont in May 2021.

Trevor McCarthy picks up the mount from post 5.

Trainer Mitchell Friedman will be represented by two runners on Sunday, sending out four-time winner Awillaway and multiple stakes placed Chasing Cara.

Awillaway enters the Broadway off a fifth in the La Verdad on January 2 at Aqueduct, finishing last in the field of five after tiring at the top of the lane under Andrew Worrie. The 6-year-old daughter of Dublin has earned one win from five starts for Friedman since joining his barn in September.

Heman Harkie will pilot Awillaway from post 1.

Chasing Cara has visited the winner’s circle twice in her 18 starts but has amassed $196,170 in earnings thanks in part to a pair of thirds at Belmont as a juvenile in the seven-furlong Joseph A. Gimma and the one-mile Maid of the Mist in 2020. The 4-year-old Broken Vow filly enters the Broadway off a 1 1/2-length allowance victory at the Big A on December 9.

Chasing Cara will exit post 6 with regular rider Dylan Davis in the irons.

Completing the field are four-time winner Kept Waiting [post 2, Manny Franco] and 2021 Xtra Heat winner Letmetakethiscall [post 3, Andre Worrie].

Inaugurated in 1980, the Broadway is slated as Race 8 on Sunday’s nine-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.