Walter Wlodarczyk Photo

Classic Joke on the bit for Saturday’s $150K Bay Shore

by Keith McCalmont

Rashid’s Thoroughbred Racing and LBR Racing Stable’s Classic Joke brings a two-race win streak into Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Bay Shore, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Bay Shore, slated as Race 9, is part of a stacked 11-race card headlined by the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino in Race 10. Also featured are the Grade 2, $300,000 Carter presented by NYRA Bets in Race 4, the Grade 3, $175,000 Distaff in Race 6 and the Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle in Race 8. First post is 11:30 a.m. Eastern.

Trained by Richard Sillaman, the Practical Joke grey will visit his fifth track in as many starts. He graduated at third asking in September at Pimlico Race Course, drawing off to a 2 1/4-length score over next-out winners Regalo and Inveigled – the latter of which recently ran second in the Private Terms at Laurel Park.

Classic Joke made his seasonal debut on March 8 at Tampa Bay Downs while racing off a nearly six-month layoff, taking a six-furlong optional-claimer by three-quarter lengths over Catalytic, who ran second in Saturday’s Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

With returning rider Daniel Centeno up, Classic Joke set splits of 21.82 seconds and 44.58 over the fast main track and held on to win in a final time of 1:09.85. The winning effort garnered a career-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure.

Sillaman, who is Centeno’s father-in-law, said the winning trip provided a few nervous moments nearing the wire.

“He wasn't really sending him. He used him a little bit to get to the lead because that's where he wanted to be and he wrapped up on him late and that horse came flying and gave me a little scare,” Sillaman said.

The $60,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase, whose second dam is multiple Grade 2-winner Miss Isella, breezed back five-eighths in a bullet 59.60 seconds on March 21 over the Tampa Bay dirt. The work marked his sixth-straight bullet effort at Tampa Bay, dating to a three-eighths breeze on January 31.

“He's doing super. He came back and worked really well,” Sillaman said. “He does it so easy and everybody that's ever worked him has said they've never asked him. He does it all on his own. He just floats over the ground.”

Classic Joke made his first three starts in a one-month timeframe, finishing fourth over turf at Laurel Park in his August 12 debut and third to eventual stakes-winner Patriot Spirit 13 days later over the Colonial main track ahead of his maiden score.

“He was ready to win first out if I could get him in the right spot,” said Sillaman, who noted that maiden dirt races weren’t filling, necessitating the turf debut. “I didn't want to ship him first time out and he ran a good race. He just got squeezed at the break and ran a little green, but he always showed a lot of ability.

“The second start at Colonial, I ran into a monster that race,” added Sillaman. “We caught a tough horse every time we've run so far.”

Classic Joke, who Sillaman said has the potential to stalk on Saturday if needed, has spent the last 10 days at Laurel Park and will ship to New York later this week.

“We think he wants to go longer. He's a big, long horse and Danny thinks he doesn't have to be in front. We'll just have to see how the race shapes up,” Sillaman said.

Centeno retains the mount from post 2.

Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable’s Eliminate [post 8, Dylan Davis] will look to make amends for a distant ninth-place finish in his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Gotham traveling a one-turn mile over a sloppy and sealed main track on March 2 here.

“He didn't get away great and didn't appreciate the slop and the kickback. He just never got untracked,” said Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. “We thought the one-turn mile made sense and perhaps under different circumstances it might have. It looks like he's probably better at six to seven [furlongs] right now.”

The Curlin chestnut debuted in August at Saratoga Race Course with a third-place finish in a seven-furlong sprint won by likely Wood Memorial favorite Deterministic. He followed with a pair of starts at nine furlongs here, landing third in October in a race won by recent Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby-winner Domestic Product and fourth in a December tilt won by stablemate Speed Runner.

The $525,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, out of the graded stakes-winning Henny Hughes mare I’m a Looker, has returned to one-turn events here as a sophomore, winning his seasonal debut traveling 6 1/2-furlongs on February 10 ahead of his Gotham effort.

“We thought he might want to run longer being by Curlin, but he's also out of a Henny Hughes mare that probably put some speed into him,” Pletcher said. “When we backed him up, he ran well.”

Happy Tenth Stable’s Yo Yo Candy [post 3, Angel Castillo] posted a 46-1 upset when making the grade in the Grade 3 Sanford in July at Saratoga.

Trained by Daniel Velazquez, the California-bred Danzing Candy colt made the lead at the stretch call of the six-furlong Sanford and staved off the late rush of heavily favored Gold Sweep, who had stumbled badly at the break.

Yo Yo Candy won his debut handily in May at Parx and was a distant third to the victorious Gold Sweep in the Tremont in June at Belmont Park ahead of his Sanford surprise.

He posted distant off-the-board efforts in each of his starts following the Sanford when last-of-10 in the Spa’s Grade 1 Hopeful in September and last-of-5 in the one-turn mile Nashua in November at the Big A.

Yo Yo Candy, assigned a field-high 123 pounds, will make his seasonal debut under returning rider Angel Castillo with a number of strong breezes under his belt at Parx, including a six-furlong effort from the gate in 1:15.21 on March 20.

“I originally had looked for a prep race for him, but it’s been tough to find one,” Velazquez said. “On the turnback, he should be OK with it, but one concern I do have is that he might get tired off the layoff. I think he’ll be a little off the pace. If Angel can get him to relax, it will be nice. I think tactically, he may be a little closer [than his previous races], but I’m looking for an off-the-pace race.”

LC Racing, Cash is King and trainer Butch Reid, Jr.’s Maximus Meridius [post 4, Mychel Sanchez] exits a pacesetting fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Gotham.

The Pennsylvania-bred son of the Reid Jr.-trained Maximus Mischief made his first three starts in sprints at Parx, graduating by 10 1/2-lengths on debut in November ahead of a third-place effort in a December tilt won by Frankie’s Empire, who subsequently won the Swale and finished sixth in Saturday’s Grade 1 Florida Derby.

Reid, Jr. said Maximus Meridius, who added blinkers for a smart 3 1/2-length score on January 30 at Parx, will appreciate the cut back in distance.

“We like him turning back a bit. He likes something to run at,” Reid, Jr. said. “We’re still learning about this horse as we go, plus, he’s learning. We’d like to get a little something he can track.

“In his last race, we had to send him a little bit and he was on the lead – I don’t think he’s most comfortable there,” Reid, Jr. added. “I think he’s better with something to point at. He’s kind of fooling around, too, on the lead, so this way, it should be a good situation for him.”

Proprietary Trade [post 7, Manny Franco] and Reasoned Analysis [post 6, Eric Cancel] will make their stakes debuts for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown and owner Klaravich Stables.

Proprietary Trade, by Practical Joke, finished fifth in his February debut sprinting six furlongs at Gulfstream in a race won by Beeline - who won the Hutcheson next out – by 3 3/4-lengths over next-out maiden winner Mr Skylight.

The $190,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale purchase shipped to New York and subsequently won at second asking with a prominent 4 3/4-length score traveling six furlongs over muddy and sealed footing on March 7 here. The geared-down victory garnered an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.

Proprietary Trade is out of the winning Uncle Mo mare Mo’s Song, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner She’s My Gem.

Reasoned Analysis, by Upstart, graduated in his seasonal debut at third asking, posting a prominent half-length score in a one-turn mile on February 25 here. The $100,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the winning Majesticperfection mare We Love Lucy, who is a half-sister to stakes-placed Tell Tale Friend.

Rounding out a talented field are stakes-placed Shea D World [post 9, Edwin Gonzalez], who steps up off the claim for trainer Shivananda Parbhoo; and two-time winners Mission Beach [post 1, Sheldon Russell] for trainer Brittany Russell, Ridgewood Runner [post 10, Luis Rivera, Jr.] for conditioner Carlos Martin, and the Linda Rice-trained Augustine Red [post 5, Jose Lezcano].

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the spring 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 spring meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.