Chelsea Durand Photo

Highway Star Coasts to Victory in NYSS Staten Island

by Heather Pettinger

Chester and Mary Broman's Highway Star cut back to seven furlongs to pick up her first stakes victory Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack, posting a 2 ½-length win in the 10th running of the $125,000 New York Stallion Series Staten Island for fillies and mares.

Ridden by Angel Arroyo, Highway Star settled in fourth early as Rosie P and Frosty Margarita battled through a brisk early pace, taking the field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.44 seconds and a half in 45.46. Highway Star picked off rivals through the turn with a three-wide move through the turn and turned up the heat in the stretch to reel in Frosty Margarita to complete the seven-furlong sprint in 1:24.18.

The winner returned $9.20 for a $2 win wager.

"I told Angel just let her tell you where she wants to be," said winning trainer Rodrigo Ubillo. "She's pretty smart and it worked out perfectly. I told him just let her be and by the end she'll need to get going. They went kind of quick, 22 [seconds]. I mean she's fast, but not that fast. 

Highway Star, a 3-year-old filly by Girolamo, was bred in New York by her owners and boasts four wins and a third from six career starts with lifetime earnings of $219,000. Her only other attempt running less than a mile was her maiden-breaking victory at seven furlongs on a sloppy and sealed track in May at Belmont Park.

"I didn't want to run her at seven furlongs but there wasn't another race for her so we decided to run in this spot," Ubillo explained. "We could have run her a mile and an eighth but that wasn't the right distance for her. This worked out perfect."

Frosty Margarita held on for second over 4-5 favorite Super Surprise. Familyofroses, Wonderment, Lady Kreesa, Perfect Freud, Rosie P and Storied Lady completed the order of finish. Hey Kiddo and Uncle Southern were scratched.