Juvenile fillies seek first stakes win in G3 Tempted

by Brian Bohl

My Meadowview Farm's Sky Gesture is one of seven 2-year-old fillies seeking their first graded stakes win as they comprise a talented field in the Grade 3, $200,000 Tempted at one mile on Saturday during Aqueduct Racetrack's opening weekend. 

The Rick Violette-trained homebred finished fifth last out in her graded stakes debut in the Grade 1 Frizette on October 8 at Belmont Park. Sky Gesture, who broke her maiden in her debut on August 28 at Saratoga Race Course, stumbled coming out of the gate in the Frizette and lost a shoe. She will seek an improved trip in drawing post 2 with jockey Aaron Gryder.

Cursor, for trainer Mark Hennig, is coming off a maiden-breaking win last out on October 5 at Belmont when she paced a six-horse field by three lengths. That followed an impressive debut in which she rallied from eighth for a runner-up finish on August 28 at Saratoga.

Owned by Courtlandt Farms, the bay filly breezed five furlongs in 1:00.06 on October 26 on the Belmont main track in her final work before her first graded stakes start. She will leave from the rail in tandem with Junior Alvarado. 

“She strikes me as being up to the task,” Hennig said. “Anytime you step into graded stakes company, things change. But she’s been training forwardly. She seems to develop more race by race. I think we’ll be competitive. She’s not a need-the-lead type. It looks like there’s some pace there. The inside post won’t hurt her. She has plenty of experience running with dirt in her face.”

For Honor is the only other entry besides Sky Gesture with a graded stakes start on her ledger after coming in sixth in the Grade 1 Alcibiades on October 7 at Keeneland. Owned by R.A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables, For Honor, saddled by George Weaver, broke her maiden on September 4 at Saratoga and leaves from the outside with Eric Cancel.

Miss Sky Warrior has the highest Beyer Speed Figure in the field, posting a 78 in her debut on September 11 at Belmont before winning her first race on October 15 at Parx Racing. Trained by Kelly Breen, she will depart post 4 in company with regular rider Paco Lopez.

Berned won at the Tempted distance in her last start, breaking her maiden on September 10 at Belmont for trainer Tom Albertrani. Antonio Gallardo has the call from post 5.

Gran Cherry has also won at a mile, breaking her maiden on September 22 at Gulfstream Park, where she came in second in her first career start on August 20. Trained by Victor Barboza, Jr., the Granpollo Stable-owned Gran Cherry will make her first start in New York out of post 3. Angel Arroyo is set to ride.

Eloquent Riddle, for trainer Chad Brown, will take the step up in class after a maiden-breaking win in her debut on September 18 at Belmont. She drew post 6 with Jose Lezcano.  

Saturday's live racing program at Aqueduct will also offer full simulcast coverage of the Breeders' Cup World Championships from Santa Anita, highlighted by the $6 million Classic, with a locally scheduled post of 8:35 p.m. 

In celebration of the Breeders' Cup, NYRA Bets is offering an exclusive $300 "Bet & Get" sign-up bonus for all new sign ups between October 24 and November 6. Both new and existing customers will be able to take advantage of a slew of special offers on Breeders' Cup weekend, including a a $10 first-post bonus for win wagers of $25 or more on any horse in the first Breeders' Cup of the weekend, the $1 million Juvenile Turf on Friday; a 13-million Point Giveaway; and a 10% Breeders' Cup Pick 4 Winner's Bonus for NYRA Bets players with a winning wager on the $3 million-guaranteed Late Pick 4 on Saturday at Santa Anita beginning in Race 9.