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Claiming Championship back for fourth year Saturday at Aqueduct

by NYRA Press Office

The New York Racing Association's Claiming Championship Series will offer 10 starter stakes races worth $695,000 when it returns for the fourth iteration on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Named after some of the most familiar claiming horses to run at the Big A, the Claiming Championship is open to horses which have started for a claiming price this year or last year. The 10-race series, at distances ranging from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, is held this year on closing day of the Aqueduct winter meet.

Headlining the day's slate is the $90,000 Mr. Sinatra, carded as Race 5 for horses who have started for a claiming price of $40,000 or less in 2017-18, which will feature Courtlandt Farms' Carlino, who will look to notch his third win in five starts as part of a field of seven 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles. The Mark Hennig trainee has posted Beyer Speed Figures of at least 90 in three of his last five starts and drew the outside post.

Veteran Chilean-bred Turco Bravo, trained by David Canizzo, ran third in his 9-year-old debut in the Jazil on January 20 and followed with a fourth-place effort in an optional claimer on February 15, with both starts at the Big A. 

Rounding out the field is Mills, for trainer David Donk; Clowney, stretching out to the Mr. Sinatra distance for the first time under trainer Patricia Farro; Halloween Horror, winner of a claiming race on February 16 for trainer John Terranova; Poshsky, for trainer Gary Contessa; and Control Group for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, who enters Friday with 999 career wins and 34 at the current Aqueduct winter meet to lead the trainers' standings.

Michael Dubb's J S Bach will look to finish on the board for the sixth straight time, competing against six other 4-year-olds and up in the $75,000 Stud Muffin. Trained by Jason Servis, J S Bach, who won last out on March 4, is 1-0-3 in four career starts at the Big A. Challenging the 6-year-old Tale of the Cat gelding will be Monaco, a winner last out on February 13 at Parx; Shalako, a 5-year-old Malibu Moon gelding, will look for his first win of the year; and Polar Jet, who is coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes in six-furlong sprints, will be stretched out to one mile for Linda Rice.

Also vying to capture the Stud Muffin, going as Race 4, will be Danebury, who posted an 11 ¼-length score on March 10 at Aqueduct for trainer Charlton Baker; Flowers for Lisa, with two wins and two runner-up efforts in his last six starts for trainer Jorge Navarro; and Bust Another, seeking his first stakes win since the 2016 Mike Lee.

Kicking off the day's action will be the $80,000 Karakorum Elektra for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up. Christmas Sky will look for her third straight win for trainer Robertino Diodoro. Looking to surprise in the seven-furlong sprint will be She's So Fine, for trainer John Toscano, Jr. The 5-year-old daughter of Haynesfield has a pair of third-place finishes in her two lone starts of the year so far. Also entered are Clairvoyant Lady for trainer Jeremiah Englehart; Decorator Jenn, for trainer Eddie Barker; and Princess Palomar. 

The $80,000 Caixa Eletronica, for 4-year-olds and up at seven furlongs in Race 7, features Harlan Punch for owner-trainer David Jacobson. The 5-year-old by Harlan's Holiday has three wins in five starts this year and will challenged by a talented group including the multiple stakes-placed Eye Luv Lulu for trainer Jason Servis. Rounding out the field is Rockford, for trainer Bruce Levine; Battle Midway, trained by David Cannizzo; Daddy D T, who will be saddled by Baker; and Helooksthepart for trainer Antonio Arriaga.

The card will also include a pair of competitive fields in one-mile contests for horses who have started for a claiming tag of $16,000 or less, beginning with the $60,000 Sis City for fillies and mares in Race 8 and headlined by Rudy Rodriguez-trained Frostie Anne, who was third in the January 18 Bay Ridge against New York-breds, and followed by the $60,000 More To Tell with a full field of 14 as Race 9 and featuring Borsa Vento, who earned a career-high 91 Beyer Speed Figure for an allowance win on February 2 for the Linda Rice barn. 

A quartet of sprints will round out the day's racing action, including the $55,000 Videogenic for fillies and mares as Race 2, the $70,000 Xtra Heat for fillies and mares as Race 3, the $70,000 Peeping Tom as Race 6, and capped off by the $55,000 Kelly Kip, which has attracted a field of 13 in Race 10.