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Hot Fudge edges Kant Hurry Love to take $100K Correction

by Mary Eddy

KEM Stables’ Hot Fudge lived up to her post-time favoritism with a late burst to nip Kant Hurry Love at the wire and capture Saturday’s $100,000 Correction, a six-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 5-year-old Liam’s Map bay notched her fifth consecutive win and third consecutive stakes triumph. She entered on the heels of back-to-back scores in the local six-furlong Garland of Roses and seven-furlong Interborough in December and January, respectively.

Ridden to victory by Kendrick Carmouche, who guided her to her two previous stakes scores, Hot Fudge emerged well from post 5-of-7 and was content to stalk in mid-pack behind a hot pace set by the freewheeling Quick Munny, who kicked clear under Dylan Davis to mark an opening quarter-mile in 22.09 seconds over the muddy and sealed footing.

The Trevor McCarthy-piloted Kant Hurry Love tracked in second down the backstretch as Hot Fudge held fourth and the rail-skimming Music City Star was forced to check heavily approaching the turn and faded to the rear of the field. Quick Munny remained well clear of her rivals as she marked the half-mile in 45.13, but Kant Hurry Love quickly closed the gap in the latter stages of the turn to take dead aim at the pacesetter with Hot Fudge kicking into gear when asked by Carmouche.

Quick Munny’s lead dwindled at the top of the stretch as the New York-bred Kant Hurry Love assumed command to her outside near the eighth pole and attempted to draw off from the oncoming Hot Fudge down the center of the course. Kant Hurry Love battled on valiantly in the final sixteenth, but was edged by a nose at the wire by a determined Hot Fudge, who completed the course in 1:10.99.

It was a further four lengths back to Starship Defiant, who tracked in third throughout and scored show honors by a neck over Quick Munny. Secret Love, Risk Free and Music City Star completed the order of finish. Baba was a late scratch.

Trained by Adam Rice, who saddled the mare while her regular conditioner Linda Rice serves a two-week suspension, Hot Fudge defeated Kant Hurry Love in a stakes event here for the second time in recent months after besting her by a neck in the Garland of Roses on December 9. Carmouche, who was aboard for that effort as well, said Hot Fudge was tenacious as usual.

“Hot Fudge, she will bring you to the hot spot, I’ll tell you. I’m just a passenger,” said Carmouche. “You see her at the wire stick her head out. She knows how to win. She is a winner.

“I thought that the horse on the lead was going to come back to us. So, we just had one other horse to beat, the horse who I caught at the wire,” Carmouche added. “She ran excellent. She’s a good horse, she tries hard.”

Bred in Kentucky by Edwin Anthony, the consistent Hot Fudge banked $55,000 in victory and improved her lifetime record to 13-8-1-1 with $493,905 in total purse earnings. The $235,000 2021 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase is out of the winning Into Mischief mare Noelle’s Mischief. She returned $3.40 for a $2 win wager.

Kant Hurry Love, who was bred in the Empire State by Dr. John M. McDermott and Laura G. McDermott, entered from an unexpected start in the Broadway where she finished third on February 17. She had been rerouted to the seven-furlong sprint for older New York-bred fillies and mares after her initial target, the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel Park, was rescheduled in mid-February.

Trainer David Duggan said the talented Kantharos mare gave a winning effort once again.

"It's horrible to get beat like that, but the winner is a good filly. Our filly showed up and she lost nothing in defeat,” said Duggan. “Our plans got a little bit distorted with the Laurel race and going seven-eighths the last time, so we'll press the pause button and see what the next race is from here. She's very tough."

Live racing resumes Sunday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

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

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.