NYRA/Coglianese Photo

Contessa looking to end meet strong with triumvirate for Maddie May

by Najja Thompson

Trainer Gary Contessa will look to close out the winter meet in strong fashion on closing day Sunday, entering a formidable trio in the $100,000 Maddie May for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies going a mile at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

In search of his first stakes win of the winter meet, Contessa will saddle Today Comes Once for owners Steven Wecker, William Achenbaum, Joseph Grant, Patrick Brown, and Alfred and Keith Riccio; Saratoga Style for DCK Racing; and Maiden Beauty for owners Pines Stables, John Irwin, Paul Zysset, and Debra Ann Acri. 

Today Comes Once, sired by graded stakes winner Cross Traffic, will make her fourth career start and stakes debut in the Maddie May following a maiden-breaking effort at a mile on March 15 at Aqueduct. 

"She's really coming into this in good shape," said Contessa. "I had been wanting to run her at a mile for a long time and she definitely proved she would appreciate that distance." 

Saratoga Style enters off a New York-bred claiming win on March 9. The Revolutionary filly has two wins from six starts, with a pair of third-place finishes, and is 1-0-1 from two starts at the distance.

Maiden Beauty will look to rebound off a fourth-place finish in the Franklin Square on February 23. Also sired by Revolutionary she has one win from seven career starts, with two second-place finishes including at a mile in her first start of the year on January 26. 

"We also entered Saratoga Style and Maiden Beauty because they've each been training well into this race as well," said Contessa. "This is the time of year where fillies either improve or will drop off, so it's a good opportunity to win a stake and gauge your horse's ability so that's what we'll do here knowing we have a shot."

Today Comes Once will depart from post 3 with Eric Cancel in the irons. Saratoga Style will leave from post 10 with Junior Alvarado and Maiden Beauty will leave from the rail with Kendrick Carmouche. 

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens entered Shelly Ann for owners Philip Birsh and Philip Levine. The Warrior's Reward filly rebounded from a subpar debut last October at Belmont Park where she finished eleventh returning to win a maiden special weight in her next start. Moving up to stakes action, she finished second on December 29 in the East View. Last out, she won an optional-claiming race on January 26 by 1 ½ lengths. 

Shelley Ann will leave from post 4 with Reylu Gutierrez up. 

Cheatham Hill will make her stakes debut for Kennesaw Mountain Racing LLC and trainer Jason Servis. The Bellamy Road filly made her debut on December 8 at Aqueduct where she finished second. Finishing fourth in her next start, she impressively broke her maiden last out by 12 ¾ lengths on February 16. 

With meet leading rider Manny Franco aboard, Cheatham Hill will depart from post 7.

Also entered is Wadadli Princess for Ginellen Racing and trainer Pat Kelly; Flush for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and owner Carl Pollard; Pat's No Fool for Rose Petal Stable LLC and trainer Gary Capuano; Intoxicologist for trainer Michelle Nevin and owners Kildare Stud; and Elegant Zip for trainer David Donk, who also owns with Sean and Michael McMahon and Copper Beech Stables LLC.