Full Screen much the best in Listed Queens County

Full Screen and jockey Manny Franco took advantage of an opening along the rail in the second turn and did not look back in Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Queens County, a nine-furlong route for 3-year-olds and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox for Sanford Goldfarb, Steven Speranza, Crown Stable and Michael Greenberg, the 6-year-old Ontario-bred son of Big Screen earned his third career stakes win and first since the restricted Lake Ontario in November 2022 at Woodbine Racetrack. Full Screen was haltered for $100,000 in July at Saratoga Race Course and is now 2-for-4 for current connections, entering off a six-length optional claiming win over course and distance on November 20 that earned a career and field-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure. 

Full Screen exited post 3 and settled in third well off the pace set by Film Star, who was hustled to take command while pressured by the hard-sent Cooke Creek through an opening quarter-mile in 23.18 seconds over the good dirt. 

“I don’t expect that pace early on, but it was good for me because I sat right off them and when they stopped, my horse just took off,” said Franco, who earned his third win on the card.

Film Star kept a half-length in front of Cooke Creek down the backside with seven lengths back to Full Screen through the half-mile in 47.20. Full Screen narrowed the gap approaching the second turn, and after three-quarters elapsed in 1:12.90, Franco located a window inside of the dueling pacesetters and his charge quickly took command. 

“My horse saw the daylight, and he just jumped on the bridle, and I said, ‘OK, let’s go for it,’” Franco said. “After that, I just kept a hold and waited and waited a little bit longer and as soon as he switched leads in the stretch, he just took off again. I was full of horse. I didn’t want to get there too early because sometimes before he liked to hang a little bit, but he’s doing so good right now. He keeps improving.”

Once Full Screen made the front, he opened up to lead by 5 1/2 lengths at the stretch call over Cooke Creek who ran on under Flavien Prat. There was no doubt in the late stages, as Full Screen cruised to a five-length victory over Cooke Creek in a final time of 1:51.26. 

“He was pulling me. He didn’t really care about the kickback, the mud. At the three-eighths pole, he saw the space and the daylight, and he just went for it,” Franco said. “I didn’t stop his momentum and after that at the quarter pole, when he switched leads, he goes on again. It’s the best feeling.”

Bourbon Day finished 8 1/4 lengths back of Cooke Creek in third, with the Cox-trained Kinetic completing the superfecta. Film Star rounded out the order of finish. Classicist was scratched.

“Full Screen is doing so great. Brad and his team had him really good, the horse is different, and I’m happy to be on him right now,” Franco said. “He’s a horse that’s improving race by race and like I said, I’m happy to be on his back.”

Prat said the Mike Maker-trained Cooke Creek was game in defeat after battling for command with Film Star. 

“I wish I could have made the lead, but I wasn’t fast enough. He could have thrown in the towel, but he was brave enough to run a nice second,” Prat said. 

Bred by Spring Farm, Full Screen, out of the Langfuhr mare Lyndenshire, was originally a $7,281 purchase at the 2020 CTHS Canadian-bred Yearling Sale. He earned $82,500 in victory while improving his record to 36-7-5-9 and boosting his earnings to $634,043. He returned $3.64 for a $2 win bet as the post-time favorite.  

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with a 10-race card, featuring the $125,000 Bay Ridge in Race 8. First post is 11:40 a.m. Eastern. 

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