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Grade 1-winner Randomized returns in G2 Ruffian

by Mary Eddy

Klaravich Stables’ Grade 1-winner Randomized will make her 4-year-old debut in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian, a one-turn mile for older fillies and mares, at Belmont at the Big A.

The Ruffian is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 11-race card, which co-features the Grade 2 Fort Marcy in Race 8 and the Listed $150,000 Elusive Quality in Race 9. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern. Additionally, The Big A will host a Kentucky Derby watch party Saturday featuring free bourbon tasting, a premium cigar stand, live music and food trucks. Aqueduct will open to the public from 10 a.m. - 8:45 p.m. to accommodate a 10:30 a.m. first post at Churchill Downs for their 14-race card that features the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby in Race 12 at 6:57 p.m.

Trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, Randomized was named a finalist for the Eclipse Award as 2023’s Champion 3-Year-Old Filly for a campaign that was led by a Grade 1 triumph in the Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales at Saratoga Race Course. She was last seen finishing a good second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff against elders on November 4 at Santa Anita Park when a half-length back of Idiomatic, who was subsequently named 2023’s Champion Older Female.

Randomized was bred in Kentucky by Richard and Connie Snyder’s Cove Springs. Richard Snyder said the talented filly’s accomplishments have been meaningful as she became their first Grade 1 winner and has helped to build the farm’s status as a top Kentucky breeding outfit.

“She really put our operation on the map so to speak,” said Snyder. “She was always a very forward type foal and yearling, and always willing and wanting to do whatever you asked her to do.”

Randomized graduated at second asking last March at Aqueduct and followed with an off-the-board finish in the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park. She quickly bounced back next out in the restricted one-mile Wilton at the Spa before her statement-making victory in the 10-furlong Alabama, sailing to a four-length score over Grade 1-winner Wet Paint to earn a career-high 98 Beyer Speed Figure. She earned the same number next out for a wire-to-wire score by 3 3/4 lengths in the Grade 2 Beldame here in her first test against elders.

In the Breeders’ Cup, the daughter of Nyquist maintained a narrow lead throughout over Idiomatic and dueled gamely with that rival through the final turn, but was outlasted in the stretch and landed second a nose in front of Le Da Vida.

Snyder said he was thrilled with the way Randomized represented Cove Springs at the Breeders’ Cup.

“It was awesome – just awesome,” said Snyder. “We were so proud of her.”

Randomized has worked steadily at Payson Park Training Center since late March, and most recently posted a half-mile bullet in 48.20 seconds Saturday.

A $420,000 purchase for Klaravich Stables at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Randomized is out of the unraced Elusive Quality mare French Passport, a half-sister to the Brown-trained multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Smooth Air, graded stakes-winner Overdriven and the nine-time winning mare Super Phoebe, who produced multiple Grade 1-winner Got Stormy and graded stakes-placed Sir Alfred James.

“The Elusive Quality/Uncle Mo cross has been really good, but at that point in time we couldn’t get to Uncle Mo,” Snyder said of the decision to breed French Passport to Nyquist. “So, Nyquist was the next best.”

Randomized, assigned a field-high 124 pounds, will emerge from the inside post in rein to Manny Franco.

Brown will have two chances to secure his third Ruffian score as he also sends out Peter Brant’s graded stakes-winner Shidabhuti, who will rematch with Ain’t Broke and Fingal’s Cave after winning the seven-furlong Grade 3 Distaff on April 6 here. Shidabhuti was a half-length winner over Ain’t Broke as the New York-bred Fingal’s Cave finished third another 2 3/4 lengths back.

Shidabhuti returned from a nearly nine-month layoff to land the victory with a rallying trip under returning pilot Dylan Davis, pouncing from 2 1/2 lengths back to get up just in time. The effort was awarded a career-best 88 Beyer Speed Figure after completing the course in 1:23.86.

The Practical Joke 4-year-old posted a productive sophomore campaign last year when winning her first two starts, capped by a two-length score in the one-mile Busher Invitational over a muddy and sealed Big A main track. She followed with a third in the Grade 3 Gazelle and a runner-up effort in the Boiling Springs at Monmouth Park en route to an uncharacteristic off-the-board finish in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks in July to close out her season.

Shidabhuti has worked over the Belmont Park dirt training track twice since the Distaff, most recently covering a half-mile in 49.30 Saturday.

Bred in Kentucky by Gabriel Duignan and Gerry Dilger, Shidabhuti was a $310,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the unraced Candy Ride mare A.P. Candy, a half-sister to the stakes-placed Bloodline.

Davis will ride from post 6.

Alifyfe Racing and Mo Speed Racing’s dual graded stakes-placed Fingal’s Cave [post 3, Jose Lezcano] seeks a return to the winner’s circle for trainer David Donk two starts after a dominant victory in the state-bred Bay Ridge in December here.

The 5-year-old daughter of Carpe Diem returned from a 14-month layoff in the one-mile Bay Ridge to lead at every point of call and draw off strongly down the stretch to post a 4 3/4-length score over the multiple graded stakes-placed Venti Valentine.

Fingal’s Cave returned four months after the Bay Ridge to post her Distaff effort where she pressed the early pace set by Hot Fudge, who marked splits of 23.57 seconds and 47.50 over the fast footing. Hot Fudge backpedaled at the top of the lane as Fingal’s Cave put in a bid to battle head-to-head with Ain’t Broke, but faltered in the final eighth of a mile and settled for show as Ain’t Broke drew off and Shidabhuti swept past late.

“It was a decent effort. She was maybe a little close up on the pace for seven-eighths,” said Donk. “The pace wasn't really that fast, but they were still kind of dueling. It was OK. She'll benefit, she needed the run."

Fingal’s Cave’s extended respite followed a hard-trying runner-up effort in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Raven Run in October 2022 at Keeneland where she was bumped and squeezed at the start and closed from 9 1/4 lengths off the pace to land four lengths behind the victorious Wicked Halo. The game effort in her graded stakes debut capped a tremendous sophomore campaign that saw her win her first four outings by a combined 21 3/4 lengths, led by a half-length win in the state-bred Fleet Indian going nine furlongs at Saratoga Race Course.

Donk said he is looking forward to running Fingal’s Cave at a one-turn mile for the second time in her eighth lifetime outing.

"She has certainly run very well at the distance,” said Donk. “So, it is of no concern to go back to one mile. It might suit her even better than seven [furlongs]."

Bred in the Empire State by Chester and Mary Broman, Fingal’s Cave was a $75,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and is out of the winning Mineshaft mare Barbie on a Budget. Her second dam is graded stakes-winning New York-bred Seeking the Ante.

Ronald P. Stewart’s Ain’t Broke [post 5, Eric Cancel] has been a model of consistency since being haltered for $75,000 out of a 1 1/16-mile claiming tilt at Churchill Downs by trainer Linda Rice in September. The daughter of Dialed In has won 3-of-5 starts since and hit the board in the other two starts when third in the local Interborough in January and with her runner-up effort in the Distaff last out.

Ain’t Broke was forced to steady early in the Distaff when in tight amid rivals and dropped back to trail in last-of-5 through the first quarter-mile. She advanced into contention at the half-mile call when asked by returning pilot Eric Cancel before taking a 1 1/2-length advantage at the stretch call. Ain’t Broke powered home strongly, but was overtaken late to settle for place in her graded stakes debut.

Ain’t Broke won impressively first off the claim with a 5 1/2-length romp in a local one-mile optional claimer to earn a career-best 91 Beyer, and posted another open-lengths score in December when rallying from 11 lengths back to coast home a five-length winner. She was awarded a 91 Beyer again for another five-length victory on February 25 in an optional claiming mile here.

Completing the field are Grade 1-placed Green Up [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche] for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher; graded stakes-placed Soul of an Angel [post 4, Trevor McCarthy], who makes her first start for conditioner Saffie Joseph, Jr.; and four-time winner Traverse [post 7, Isaac Castillo] for trainer Riley Mott.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

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