Enliven set to make graded stakes debut in Grade 3 Tempted

by NYRA Press Office

Stakes action at Aqueduct Racetrack kicks off for the fall meet when live racing returns to the Big A on Friday, November 2 as a talented field of ten juvenile fillies compete in the Grade 3, $150,000 Tempted at one mile.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin will send out a formidable duo in Godolphin homebred Enliven and Takecharge Mirella, who is campaigned by Big Dom Racing Stable.

The well-related Enliven, a bay daughter of Ghostzapper out of multiple Grade 1-winner It's Tricky, is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Enticed. Sent to post as the odds-on favorite in her August 26 debut at Saratoga Race Course, Enliven pressed the early pace before settling for fourth in a six-furlong maiden allowance event.

When stretching out to 1 1/16 miles on the Belmont Park main at second asking, Enliven responded with a powerful performance to secure a 1 ¼-length win under pilot Joe Bravo.

"She's always done everything right and trained very well. We were disappointed with her first start, but she ran huge last time. It's a big step up to a graded stakes but she's doing very well," McLaughlin.

McLaughlin, who conditioned both It's Tricky and Enticed, is confident he has a good filly on his hands, but prefers to let Enliven make her own name and leave thoughts about bigger races ahead, like the Kentucky Oaks, for a later date.

"She's a really pretty filly and is doing everything right, but it's hard to compare horses," McLaughlin said. "The Oaks is a long way away and I don't like to think that far ahead. We'll take it race by race for now and would love to get this under our belts on Friday."

With Bravo aboard, the pair will leave from post 7.

Takecharge Mirella, a bay daughter of Take Charge Indy, finished second at first asking, chasing home a dominant winner in Feedback on August 12 at Saratoga when sprinting 6 ½ furlongs on the main track. Stretched out to seven furlongs in her return engagement, Takecharge Mirella, with Bravo aboard, took charge at the top of the lane and was able to hold on for a narrow nose score.

"She was second first time out to a nice filly, but then came back with a nice race. She might have opened up a bit too early, by maybe five lengths at the eighth pole, and then was waiting on horses," McLaughlin said. "We'll probably settle back a little more with her, I think, and see how it goes. She's a very nice filly."

Trevor McCarthy has the call and will guide Takecharge Mirella from the inside post.

McLaughlin, who will run a stable of 40 at Aqueduct through the fall meet, is looking forward to Friday's opener and seeing the rest of his contingent competing over Aqueduct's new inner turf course following a wet Belmont Fall Meet.

"It really helps," McLaughlin said. "We need some turf starts after all the rain we've had. Hopefully we'll have more opportunities to run on the turf."

A steep field of 10 for the Tempted includes Grade 1-placed Brucia La Terra and recent Maid of the Mist winner Surge of Pride.

Trained by Barclay Tagg, Brucia La Terra scored on her debut in an off-the-turf maiden allowance event at Saratoga, finishing 3 ¾ lengths clear in a compact field of five. Dismissed at odds of 13-1 when trying the Grade 1 Frizette at second asking, Brucia La Terra didn't bother looking at the tote board as she rallied from last-of-seven to finish second behind Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies bound Jaywalk.

The El Padrino filly, owned by William Ferrone, landed in front of Tagg stablemate Cassies Dreamer, who is also on her way to the Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs. Dylan Davis will take over from Manny Franco.

Surge of Pride made two starts on the turf, winning her debut at Saratoga on August 27, before switching to dirt last time out to close with an impressive turn of foot to take the $250,000 Maid of the Mist on October 20 at Belmont as part of Empire Showcase Day. Junior Alvarado retains the mount on the bay daughter of Kantharos.

Seek and Destroy, slotted in post 2 for trainer Chad Brown, competed on Sunday's Closing Day card at Belmont winning the Chelsey Flower in convincing fashion.

Completing the field are Oxy Lady, Two Dozen Roses, Group Text, Hollywood Glory and Enjay's Brass.

With the penultimate card of racing canceled at Belmont on October 27, the Grade 3 $200,000 Bold Ruler was moved to Friday while undercard turf races, the $100,000 English Channel and the $100,000 Awad were carried to Sunday.

Calumet Farm's True Timber will return to stakes competition in the Bold Ruler, following back-to-back impressive wins in optional claiming events. The McLaughlin trainee will square off against five others in the seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up.

Friday at the Big A will also feature a full simulcast of the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill, anchored by the $2 million Sentient Jet Juvenile, with a local post time of 6:05 p.m.

Saturday's card at Aqueduct will be anchored by the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm, a 1 1/8-mile route for fillies and mares. The Ozone Park oval will also host full simulcast coverage of the Breeders' Cup on Saturday, highlighted by the $6 million Classic, with a locally scheduled post of 5:44 p.m. Doors open at 9 a.m. on Saturday at Aqueduct with first post set for 11 a.m. Fans purchasing a program on Saturday will receive a free Aqueduct Tumbler.