Robert Mauhar Photo

Itsonlyactingdad headlines G3 Long Island

by Najja Thompson

Aiming to earn her second graded stakes victory of the year, Starlight Racing's Itsonlyactingdad will headline a field of nine in the Grade 3, $200,000 Long Island Handicap for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on the turf, Sunday's featured race at Aqueduct Racetrack.

A 4-year-old daughter of Giant's Causeway, Itsonlyactingdad began her season on February 27 at Gulfstream Park winning an optional claimer. The Todd Pletcher trainee then went on to finish eighth in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland before making her stakes return to win the Grade 3 Matchmaker at Monmouth Park on July 31. She followed that victory with a seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Glens Falls Stakes and last out running fifth in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl on October 8 at Belmont.

Listed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite, Itsonlyactingdad will leave from post 2 with Hall of Famer John Velasquez in the irons.

Looking to earn her first graded stakes win is Achnaha for Bacon Barn and trainer George Weaver. A 5-year-old Irish-bred mare, she has one win from seven starts this year but has shown promise in her last two starts, picking up a fifth-place and third-place finish in the Grade 3 Waya and Grade 3 Glens Falls at Saratoga Race Course, respectively.

Reunited with Manuel Franco, the pair will depart from post 6 as the 7-2 morning line second-choice.

Trainer Christophe Clement will enter a triumvirate in Desiree Clary, Modernstone and Palinodie.

An Irish-bred 4-year-old daughter of Sholokhov, Desiree Clary made her first start in North America in July winning an optional claiming race at Belmont before going on to back-to-back fifth-place runnnings in the Waya and Grade 3 Violet at Monmouth on September 10.

Drawing the rail and listed at odds of 4-1 on the morning line, Desiree Clary will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr.

 Modernstone, a 6-year-old Britsh-bred mare, has made two starts this year, running tenth in the Glens Falls and on October 9, finishing fifth at Woodbine Racetrack in an allowance race. Palinodie, a 3-year-old French-bred, will be making her first start in North America following a win on October 3 in the Prix Charles Laffitte Stakes at Maisons-Laffite Racecourse.

Palinodie, a 3-year-old French-bred, will be making her first start in North America following a win on October 3 in the Prix Charles Laffitte Stakes at Maisons-Laffite Racecourse.

Rounding out the field are Promotional and Earring for trainer Thomas Proctor, Swear by It for Lawrence Goichman and trainer Nicholas Esler, entering off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Dowager on October 23 at Keeneland, and Evidently for owner and trainer Roy Lerman.