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Cicada winner Lady Scarlet may stretch out next; Barese drills six furlongs in prep for G2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino

by NYRA Press Office

• Cicada winner Lady Scarlet may stretch out next; Barese drills six furlongs in prep for G2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino
• Duggan rolling the dice with Drafted in G1 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets
• Stone Creator posts quick work for $100K East View
• G1-winner Bella Sofia back on the work tab

Peter Proscia’s Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher’s Lady Scarlet may stretch out in her next start after scoring an easy victory in Saturday’s six-furlong, $100,000 Cicada for trainer Mike Maker, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“She’s really getting better. Mike and his team have done a really great job of getting her ready, letting her mature and teaching her,” said Staudacher. “As a young horse, that’s really important. She came out of the race good and we were pretty excited about it.”

Staudacher said he was pleasantly surprised with the effort from Lady Scarlet, who took command at the top of the lane and kicked clear to a 4 1/2-length triumph.

“We were very surprised, but she had been training good and we think maybe she can get a flat mile now with the way she galloped out and finished the race,” said Staudacher.

A daughter of Union Rags, Lady Scarlet was claimed for $150,000 out of a winning maiden effort in November at Churchill Downs. After a fifth-place finish first off the claim, the dark bay filly had a two-month break before a return win in a six-furlong optional claiming race at Oaklawn on February 26.

Staudacher said he was compelled to drop the claim on Lady Scarlet after a runner-up effort to eventual Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Echo Zulu put her on his radar.

“We liked her race second time out when she ran second to Echo Zulu,” Staudacher said. “She ran a great race. I liked her breeding and thought she was worth taking a shot on. She’s been great; it’s all Mike and his team. They do a great job getting maturing, younger horses to the races.”

Staudacher said that while a next start is still to be determined for Lady Scarlet, the seven-furlong Grade 3 Beaumont at Keeneland on April 10 may be on the table.

“I think that’s a perfect distance for her; that will be up to Mike and Peter to decide, but it would be a good spot for her,” said Staudacher. “She’s getting better and better, so that’s the nice thing.”

Lady Scarlet’s owners also campaign the undefeated Barese, who returned to the work tab on Saturday for Maker. The 3-year-old colt breezed six furlongs in 1:16.42 over the dirt training track at Belmont Park in preparation for the Grade 2 Wood Memorial Presented by Resorts World Casino, a 100-40-20-10 qualifier for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

The son of Laoban has put together a perfect resume, undefeated through three starts with two stakes wins this year at Aqueduct. Barese posted a debut win sprinting five furlongs at Belmont Park in May, defeating next-out winner Bali’s Shea and eventual Grade 3 With Anticipation winner Coinage.

“He has really been a nice horse. We’re pointing for the Wood and are excited for the opportunity,” Staudacher said.

The bay colt was away from the races for eight months and made his return in Aqueduct’s 6 1/2-furlong Rego Park to square off against winners for the first time. Ridden by regular rider Dylan Davis, Barese stalked the pace and rallied down the lane to pick up the first of two consecutive stakes wins.

Barese had no issue stretching out to a one-turn mile in his next outing, capturing the restricted Gander by 1 1/4 lengths to earn a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure and convince his connections to journey down the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Staudacher said Barese should relish going two turns in the nine-furlong Wood Memorial.

“The long work was to keep him fit for the Wood. We think with the way he finished his last race, he should be able to get the nine furlongs,” Staudacher said. “I don’t think he should have a problem facing open company either. He ran a big figure last time.”

Staudacher, who co-owned graded stakes-winners Aquaphobia, Ajourneytofreedom and Special Reserve, said he is grateful for the opportunity to start a horse in the Wood Memorial.

“It’s phenomenal,” said Staudacher. “It’s a dream come true.”

Out of the Successful Appeal mare Right Prevails, Barese was a $150,000 2-year-old purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Florida 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale and is a full brother to stakes-placed filly Breakfastatbonnies.

Duggan rolling the dice with Drafted in G1 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets

Trainer David Duggan expressed a sense of cautious optimism with recent graded stakes winner Drafted as he is set to take on a tougher task in the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets on April 9 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 8-year-old son of Field Commission was an easy 4 1/2-length winner of the Grade 3 Toboggan on February 5 at the Big A, earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure. The win was his first since capturing the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai in March 2019.

Drafted will have his work cut out for him in the Carter, where he is likely to face accomplished graded stakes winners Green Light Go, First Captain and Speaker’s Corner.

“The field will be a bit deeper when we go in there, but off the last race we’re taking a shot,” Duggan said.

Duggan envisions a good pace up front in the Carter, which he said will be to his horse’s benefit.

“You can never predict but obviously, our horse is better with a pace to run at,” Duggan said. “I think the quality of horses will dictate the pace, they should go a good, fast pace. A true run race. We’re running numbers that are competitive. Whether we’re good enough is a question mark. This a tough event and if we show up great, and if not, we’ll dust ourselves off.”

Following three starts for Godolphin and trainer Eoin Harty, Drafted was campaigned in Dubai by John Hyde’s Misty Hollow Farm, who maintained ownership of the horse in the United States under Duggan up until his fifth-place finish in last year’s Grade 3 Runhappy in May at Belmont. Hyde, who also pretrains young horses for Shadwell Farm in Dubai, sold Drafted to his current ownership group which consists of Dublin Fjord Stables, Racepoint Stables, Kevin D. Hilbert and Thomas E. O’Keefe.

“He [Hyde] bought him in Dubai and was part of the ownership there. When it ran its course over there, he sent the horse over to us,” Duggan said. “We had given him some time during the year because he had a minor injury. He got hurt when he ran in the Runhappy and we gave him some time off after that. When he was coming back, that’s when John wanted to sell, and we put the partnership together.”

Duggan saddled Kingsport Farm’s Leeloo to a narrow runner-up effort in a six-furlong state-bred optional claimer on Friday, finishing a half-length to Bank On Anna. Bred in the Empire State by Sequel Stallions New York and Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, the daughter of second crop sire Practical Joke was sent off as the favorite in the January 22 Franklin Square at the Big A, finishing a distant fifth.

Leeloo was a 7 1/4-length winner at second asking on December 11 at Aqueduct, defeating next-out winner Ribot’s Valentine.

“She got beat fair and square,” Duggan said of Friday’s race. “I was delighted to have her back. I couldn’t understand what happened in the Franklin Square. Whether it was track related or not, I don’t know. She should be good this summer. We’ll see what becomes available.”

Stone Creator posts quick work for $100K East View

Trainer Charlton Baker said Roddy Valente’s homebred Stone Creator remains on target for next Sunday’s $100,000 East View, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred sophomore fillies at Aqueduct.

Stone Creator posted a bullet five-eighths work solo in 59.01 Sunday over the Belmont dirt training track.

“She worked pretty quick today, but she did it very comfortably,” Baker said. “The track was playing a little faster than normal. She did the first quarter comfortable and then the rider asked her a little bit, but not too much. She was real good this morning.”

Stone Creator, who was unraced as a 2-year-old, launched her career in January with a five-length romp over next-out winner Galaxina in a seven-furlong state-bred maiden special weight at the Big A. She followed with a strong second in the one-mile Maddie May on February 21, which was won by returning East View rival Yo Cuz.

Baker said he had considered adding blinkers to Stone Creator for the East View, but will let the filly have one more race without equipment.

“I was thinking about blinkers but she's doing so good and she's so classy that we'll just see how she goes from here,” Baker said. “She's maturing and looking fitter. She's getting better.”

The Creative Cause gray is out of the Empire Maker mare Stone Maker, who is a half-sibling to Grade 1-winner and popular New York sire Bustin Stones.

Glass Ceiling, trained and co-owned by Baker with Michael S. Foster, will make her next start in the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares on April 9 at the Big A.

Baker claimed the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Constitution for $40,000 from a third-place effort in May at Belmont Park. The talented bay has since posted a record of 8-4-2-1 for new connections, including scores in the six-furlong Garland of Roses in December at Aqueduct and the seven-furlong Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie last out on February 19 at Laurel Park with Dylan Davis up.

Davis piloted Glass Ceiling through a half-mile breeze in 48.69 Sunday over the Belmont dirt training track.

“She had her first work back and it was a comfortable half,” Baker said. “Dylan let her do what she wanted to do and she worked good. We just let her stretch her legs a little bit.”

Baker said Glass Ceiling will have two more works ahead of the Distaff.

“That's the plan. We have a couple more five-eighths works for her before then,” Baker said.

Prisoner led at every point of call in a Friday allowance sprint at the Big A to keep a perfect record intact through three career starts.

The 4-year-old Violence gelding won on debut in June 2020 at Belmont for conditioner Rudy Rodriguez, garnering a career-best 85 Beyer. He was claimed for $25,000 out of an eight-length score on February 5 at the Big A that registered an 84 Beyer.

Dylan Davis picked up the mount aboard Prisoner in his first start for Baker and blitzed through splits of 22.08 seconds and 45.73 en route to a five-length score, covering six furlongs in 1:12.04. The impressive effort garnered an 82 Beyer and the $30,250 winner’s share of the purse.

"He's a pretty quick horse. He came out of the race great. The ideal next spot would be an ‘A other than’,” Baker said.

Baker said the $175,000 purchase at the 2020 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training should continue to improve.

“He shows he has ability and I think he'll be a good horse going forward,” Baker said.

G1-winner Bella Sofia back on the work tab

Michel Imperio, Vincent Scuderi, Sofia Soares, Gabrielle Farm, Mazel Stable Partners, Matthew Mercurio, Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds and Barry Fowler’s Grade 1-winner Bella Sofia returned to the work tab Sunday at Belmont Park covering three-eighths in 37.01 over the dirt training track under Trevor McCarthy.

“It was her first three-eighths and she worked very nice,” trainer Rudy Rodriguez said. “She galloped out in 52. She looks very good.”

The 4-year-old daughter of Awesome Patriot won 4-of-6 sophomore starts, taking the Grade 1 Longines Test in August at Saratoga ahead of a score in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap in September at Belmont. She completed her campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar.

Rodriguez said he is hoping to map a route back to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint this November at Keeneland that will include stops at Belmont and Saratoga.

“We'll be patient with her and let her tell us when she's ready and then we can map out a plan,” Rodriguez said. “Our goal is to bring her back to the Breeders' Cup nice and fresh.”