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Early Voting works for G2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino

by NYRA Press Office

• Early Voting works for G2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino
• New York-bred Shipsational to target G1 Florida Derby
• Multiple stakes winner Pete’s Play Call returns to work for Rodriguez
• Outside post could suit Monshun in $100K Cicada; Constitutionlawyer breezes for G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks
• Aqueduct Racetrack Week 15 stakes probables

Klaravich Stables’ Early Voting worked in company Friday in preparation for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 9 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Grade 3 Withers winner went a half-mile in 48.47 seconds over the Belmont Park training track with stablemate and last year’s Withers winner Risk Taking. 

The nine-furlong Wood Memorial is the last local Kentucky Derby qualifier, offering 100-40-20-10 points to the top-four finishers. Early Voting is currently 23rd on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 10 points earned from his Withers score.

“The horse is coming along really well,” said trainer Chad Brown. “He’s been doing well since the Withers and he’s been doing everything the right way. He’s still on track for the Wood.”

Unbeaten in two starts, Early Voting captured his debut going a one-turn mile on December 18 at Aqueduct before capturing the Withers by 4 1/2 lengths over Un Ojo, the next-out winner of the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn Park. 

Grantham, the fourth-place finisher in the Withers, came back to run second in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 12. 

“It was great for him to finish ahead of those horses in only his second start. As a trainer, it gives you a lot of confidence coming out of a key race,” Brown said. 

A son of last year’s leading freshman sire Gun Runner, Early Voting was bought for $200,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the unraced Tiznow mare Amour d’Ete – a half-sister to 2004 Champion Sprinter and influential stallion Speightstown.

The four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner said fellow Klaravich Stables color bearer Reinvestment Risk is possible for the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets on April 9 at the Big A. The 4-year-old son of Upstart registered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure for a last-out winning effort in an allowance optional claimer in February at Gulfstream Park. 

Reinvestment Risk was twice Grade 1-placed as a juvenile behind Jackie’s Warrior in the Hopeful at Saratoga Race Course and the Champagne at Belmont before finishing tenth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland. He made one start last year, finishing a distant third to eventual stakes-winners Following Sea and Wudda U Think Now in a June allowance event at Belmont. 

Reinvestment Risk was purchased for $280,000 from the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where he was consigned by De Meric Sales. He is out of the Candy Ride mare Ridingwiththedevil.

Jeff Drown’s Zandon remains on target for the Grade 1, $1 million Blue Grass on April 9 at Keeneland, which offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The Upstart sophomore made his 2022 debut in the Grade 2 Risen Star on February 19 at Fair Grounds Race Course, where he missed the break but rallied from tenth to finish third. 

“He missed the break, but I was happy to see him persevere. He got a lot out of the race fitness wise,” Brown said. 

A debut winner in October at Belmont, Zandon was narrowly beaten in the Grade 2 Remsen in December at Aqueduct. Both stakes placings have earned Zandon a collective 14 points on the Derby trail, where he is 14th on the leaderboard. 

Brown sent out Highly Motivated to finish a hard fought second in last year’s Blue Grass behind eventual Champion 3-Year-Old Essential Quality. Unraced since finishing tenth in last year’s Kentucky Derby, Highly Motivated has worked consistently for Brown at Payson Park Training Center in Florida. Brown said the son of Into Mischief should be ready to return to action in April.

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New York-bred Shipsational to target G1 Florida Derby

Trainer Edward Barker said Iris Smith Stable's multiple New York-bred stakes winner Shipsational will make his next start on April 2 at Gulfstream Park in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, which offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

The Midshipman chestnut, who finished third in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 12, is currently in 15th position on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 14 points.

“We're going to run in the Florida Derby. We're down here already and I think it's going to be a lot easier on the horse. We'll take our shot there and if we get enough points that's fine. If not, Plan B,” Barker said. “We'll run him back in three weeks - third off the layoff - and I don't have to train him hard. If we're fortunate enough to get enough points, it's five weeks to the Kentucky Derby which is perfect.”

Shipsational exited post 8 under Manny Franco in the Tampa Bay Derby and tracked wide from fifth position in the early running. He advanced wide into the second turn and stayed on strong down the lane to finish third, 2 3/4-lengths back of the victorious Classic Causeway and just a neck back of runner-up Grantham.

“We got hung out really wide on both turns and you absolutely cannot win being wide on both turns. You'd have to be 10 lengths the best horse,” Barker said. “He ran good and I'm pleased with how he ran. He tried. If we had an inside post it would have been a lot different.”

The $210,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase graduated by 6 3/4-lengths at first asking in July at Saratoga Race Course, sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs over a sloppy and sealed main track. Two starts later, Shipsational stalked and pounced to victory in the seven-furlong Bertram F. Bongard in September over a fast Big Sandy. He followed with a gate-to-wire score on October 30 in the one-turn mile Sleepy Hollow over a sloppy and sealed Belmont main track to best Overstep, a well-regarded $360,000 yearling sale purchase trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.

Shipsational trained over the winter at Tampa Bay Downs and made his sophomore debut under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, closing to finish second to Classic Causeway in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis on February 12.

“He showed a lot of talent from his first win on and I figured if I was ever going to take a shot at the Derby that this is the year to do it,” Barker said. “We came down here in early December and trained over this track and he's doing exceptionally well. He came out of the race really good.”

Barker said Castellano will return to the irons in the Florida Derby.

“He rode the horse really good in the Sam Davis and he knows the horse,” Barker said. “You haven't seen the best of this horse, yet.”

Bred in New York by Mr. and Mrs. Bertram R. Firestone, Shipsational is out of the Thunder Gulch mare Regal Approach, who is a half-sister to 2015 Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap-winner Mr Maybe.

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Multiple stakes winner Pete’s Play Call returns to work for Rodriguez

Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso’s Pete’s Play Call returned to the work tab for the first time since May for trainer Rudy Rodriguez on Monday at Belmont Park. 

A 9-year-old son of Munnings, Pete’s Play Call was last seen finishing a distant 10th in an open-company optional claimer at Belmont on May 1. The race closed out an 8-year-old campaign that saw the gelding win the Gravesend and finish a close second in the Grade 3 Toboggan, both at the Big A. 

The chestnut boasts a record of 50-14-11-6 with earnings of $706,985 and includes a victory in the 2019 Bonapaw at Fair Grounds and a runner-up effort in the Caixa Eletronica starter stakes at Aqueduct last year. 

Pete’s Play Call breezed three-eighths in 39.11 seconds over Belmont’s dirt training track on Monday. 

“The owners brought him back and he worked good,” Rodriguez said. “Right now, it’s so far so good. I don’t have any idea what is next for him, but he’ll tell us what to do.” 

Wudda U Think Now, winner of the six-furlong Hollie Hughes in his last start on February 16, was nominated to the one-mile Haynesfield on Sunday at the Big A, but bypassed in favor of another sprint start. 

“I’m just trying to be patient with him,” said Rodriguez. “I want to try to keep him a sprinter for now and if the owner lets me, I’ll try the mile.” 

Owned by Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group, the son of Fast Anna notched his first stakes victory with his front-running Hollie Hughes effort, defeating multiple stakes winner My Boy Tate by 4 1/4 lengths. 

Rodriguez also reported the return of Grade 1 Test victress Bella Sofia to his barn at the beginning of the month. The daughter of Awesome Patriot has enjoyed some downtime since finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on November 6 at Del Mar. 

Rodriguez said the filly arrived back at his barn in good order. 

“She’s here at Belmont and if everything goes well, maybe we’ll breeze her three-eighths on Sunday,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez’s recent allowance optional claiming winner Big Engine will make the step back up to stakes company when he contests the $75,000 Not For Love at Laurel Park on Sunday. 

A 7-year-old son of the race’s namesake, Big Engine was a come-from-behind winner in his last start at the Big A on February 19 when he sprinted six furlongs to earn a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure. 

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Outside post could suit Monshun in $100K Cicada; Constitutionlawyer breezes for G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks

Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Ken Russell and Taste of Victory Stables’ Monshunreturns from a seven-month layoff in Saturday’s $100,000 Cicada, a six-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

The daughter of Unified was a sharp 3 1/4-length winner of her lone start, a six-furlong maiden special weight in August at Saratoga Race Course, leading through every point of call. 

Monshun drew post 5 in the six-horse Cicada, which trainer Ray Handal said will be to her benefit.

“One thing I like is the outside post, she’s never really had any kickback. Even if she’s not on top, I like that she drew the outside post for this race,” Handal said. “She’s been breezing really sharp. I tried entering in the 1x last week, but it didn’t go. She’s ready to rock and roll. She’s a much bigger and stronger horse than she was.”

A debut victory at Saratoga can speak volumes of a horse’s talent and Handal said her sharp triumph was not unexpected. 

“She had touted her hand. She was quick from the gate and seemed precocious,” Handal said. “We had expectations for her to run big that day and she did. It’s always good when they come through like that. She showed us that she had the talent last year. She had a minor injury and we gave her some time off. She had a chip taken out of her ankle and she’s come back and been great.”

Dylan Davis, who piloted last year’s Cicada winner Just Read It for Handal, will ride Monshun. 

Handal has called an audible with Constitutionlawyer, who was scratched out of the City of Brotherly Love on March 8 at Parx Racing. The Constitution colt will now target the Grade 3, $600,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks on April 2 at Turfway Park, which offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

Constitutionlawyer, a disappointing 11th in the Grade 3 Withers last out on February 5, breezed a half-mile in 48.20 seconds over the Belmont training track on Friday morning. 

“He went super sharp,” Handal said. “I’m trying to get him back on the Derby trail somewhat. I thought [the City of Brotherly Love] would be a good steppingstone to something like the Blue Grass. The plan right now is the Jeff Ruby at Turfway. He’s by Constitution and they’re about 50-50 to get the grass, and he has good numbers first time on synthetic sprinting. The problem with targeting the Blue Grass is he might not get in because of earnings, and the Wood Memorial is coming up real tough.”

A maiden winner at third asking, Constitutionlawyer kept good company through the maiden ranks. He finished a distant fourth on debut behind eventual Grade 2 Remsen winner Mo Donegal before stretching out to two turns on December 2 at Aqueduct to finish third behind subsequent Jerome winner Courvoisier. Constitutionlawyer found the winner’s circle when traveling nine furlongs over a muddy and sealed main track on January 2 at Aqueduct.

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Aqueduct Racetrack Week 15 stakes probables 

Sunday, March 27 

$100K East View (NYB) 

Probable: Captainsdaughter (Russell Cash), Salsa a Parte (Ray Handal), Silver Fist (James L. Lawrence, II), Stone Creator (Charlton Baker), Yo Cuz (Bill Mott)

Possible: Leeloo (David Duggan), Moam (Horacio De Paz), Sandy’s Garden (Joseph Lee)