Key Cents, NYSS join Winter Memories for Black Friday stakes action

by Heather Pettinger

Holiday thoroughbred racing action will continue at Aqueduct Racetrack on Black Friday, with a trio of competitive stakes on the card, led by the inaugural running of the $125,000 Winter Memories for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Leading a full field in the Winter Memories, Stuart S. Janney III's My Impression will look to bring her considerable talents to the Big A. With three wins and a third from six starts in 2016, My Impression picked up a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure for her 3 ¼-length victory in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Oaks at Laurel Park in September. The Sky Mesa filly followed up with a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Valley View on October 21 at Keeneland.

My Impression, trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, will break from the rail with regular jockey Jose Ortiz.

Trainer Chad Brown will be represented by a pair of contenders in Noble Beauty, second to My Impression in the Commonwealth Oaks, and Grey Stark, a regular workmate of fellow Brown trainee and multiple Grade 1 winner Lady Eli.

Manny Franco picks up the mount aboard Noble Beauty from post 11, while Grey Stark will be ridden by her regular pilot, Irad Ortiz, Jr., from post 3.

Graham Motion will saddle Grade 3 Autumn Miss runner-up Danilovna, who finished a nose behind Cover Song while making her North American stakes debut on October 29. The Irish-bred daughter of Dansili will depart from post 6 with Trevor McCarthy in the saddle.

Trainer Mike Maker will send two runners in Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf winner Gianna's Dream, who will be ridden by Antonio Gallardo from post 4, and She's So Fine, who broke her maiden at Saratoga Race Course in August and will be ridden by Eric Cancel from post 9.

Sassy Little Lila, Koala Queen, Free N Clear, Gioia Stella, and Insta Erma complete the field. Mo d'Amour and Welcoming are entered for the main track only.

The Winter Memories will be joined on Black Friday by a pair of rescheduled stakes: the $100,000 Key Cents for 2-year-old New York-bred fillies at six furlongs and the $125,000 New York Stallion Series Thunder Rumble division for 3-year-olds and up at seven furlongs, following the cancellation of Aqueduct's card for Sunday, November 20.

In the Key Cents, Alan Cook's Filibustin is one of just three entries to register a stakes victory, winning the Joseph A. Gimma on October 2 at Belmont Park at seven furlongs. Trained by Gregory Sacco, Filibustin is 2-for-2 in her career and will look to stay undefeated in leaving post 10 with jockey Jose Lezcano. 

Iron Mizz, the field's most experienced horse with a 2-1-1 record in six career starts, also has a stakes win on her ledger, having captured the Seeking the Ante on August 26 at Saratoga Race Course. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Iron Mizz will be making her fourth straight stakes start looking to add to her field-high career earnings of $197,750. She will depart post 2 in tandem with jockey Joel Rosario.

Chester and Mary Broman'sCode Red finished just three-quarters of a length behind Iron Mizz in the Seeking the Ante and, after finishing seventh last out in the Joseph A. Gimma, the Mike Hushion-trainee will cut back in distance while leaving from the rail with Dylan Davis aboard. 

The lone new challenger to join the original Key Cents cast, Repole Stable's Overnegotiate, a four-length maiden winner in his November 5 debut, will make his stakes debut for the Todd Pletcher barn. Rajiv Maragh is slated to ride from post 7.

Rounding out the field areLady Finger winner Ribbonite; Lynbrook runner-up Wilburnmoney; Strawberry Tequila, returning to stakes company for the first time since an eighth-place finish in the Joseph A. Gimma; Maid of the Mist runner-up Tainted Angel; Impazible Angela, making her stakes debut; Twist 'n Shout;Bliss to You; and Kim Royale.

On tap for the 10th running of the NYSS Thunder Rumble are, from the rail out: We Did, West Hills Giant, Bust Another, Empire Dreams, Jet Black, Loki's Vengeance, Becker's Galaxy and Cloud Control.

Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and Cigar Mile Day will feature a special post time of 11:50 a.m. Gates will open at 10 a.m.