Francesca Le Donne Photo

Juvenile fillies seek first stakes win in Stewart Manor

by Brian Bohl

Fresh off earning graded stakes black type in her North American debut, the Irish-bred Magisterium will look to build on that effort in Saturday’s $100,000 Stewart Manor for juvenile fillies contesting at six furlongs over Aqueduct Racetrack’s outer turf.

One of two stakes on the first Saturday of the Big A fall meet, joining the Grade 3, $100,000 Turnback the Alarm for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up going 1 1/8 miles on the main track, the third running of the Stewart Manor will see Magisterium entered off a third-place effort in the Grade 3 Matron on October 11 at Belmont.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables, the daughter of Elzaam won two of her four starts in England to begin her career. She also posted two runner-up efforts, including on August 8 at Newmarket before shipping across the Atlantic and into trainer Christophe Clement’s care, where she began training at Belmont in September before rallying from last-of-seven in the six-furlong Matron, finishing 1 ½ lengths back to winner Royal Approval over the firm turf.

“She had a nice work on Sunday,” Clement said. “She was solid last time. They always say be careful between the first and second race [in a new country], but she doesn’t train like a filly who is going to have problems. She seems very happy in her new surroundings. So, let’s go for one more and we’ll give her a break after that.”

Magisterium will pick up jockey Eric Cancel’s services, drawing post 7.

Her stablemate, Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister’s Honey Pants, won at second asking last out, wiring an eight-horse field by four lengths in her turf debut on October 25 at Belmont one month after running sixth going 6 ½ furlongs on Big Sandy.

A daughter of Cairo Prince, Honey Pants, purchased for $90,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale, has also been training at Belmont, recording six workouts since August. Trevor McCarthy will ride from the inside post.

Saratoga Ten General Partner’s Show Me the Honey made an impressive debut on October 3 over firm Belmont turf, recording a 2 ¼-length victory against a 12-horse field going six furlongs. The Michelle Nevin trainee, bred in New York by Sugar Plum Farm, will see Kendrick Carmouche ride from post 6.

Hat Creek Racing’s Illegal Smile will be looking to break her maiden in her fifth attempt but has been competitive in her last three starts, including a runner-up effort to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint-bound Dirty Dangle in the five-furlong Woodbine Cares on September 19 and a third to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf-bound Alda in the Catch A Glimpse, going 6 ½ furlongs, on August 23 at the same Canadian track for trainer Wesley Ward.

Cristian Torres will be aboard from post 3.

Lexinator won her first start on September 8 at Presque Isle Downs and made her stakes debut at the same track on October 5, running third in the Presque Isle Debutante going 6 ½ furlongs on the all-weather track. Trained by Nicholas Sideris, she will run on turf for the first time, drawing post 4 with Pablo Morales in the irons.

Rounding out the field is Herald Angel, who broke her maiden at third asking on October 10 on the Belmont grass, for trainer Mike Maker [post 5, Reylu Gutierrez]; Magical Soul, an $80,000 purchase at the Ocala Spring Sale this year, who won in his second start on September 26 at Monmouth Park for John Kimmel [post 2, Christopher DeCarlo]; and Spirited Beauty, who graduated at second asking on September 14 at Delaware Park for conditioner Jose Camejo [post 8, Luis Reyes].

The Stewart Manor is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's 10-race card which features a first post of 10:30 a.m. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the Aqueduct fall meet with coverage to air on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the 18-day fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.