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Luna Loca set for stakes debut in $100K Maddie May

by Keith McCalmont

Clear Stars Stable, Mitre Box Stable and Big Toe Stables’ Luna Loca will stretch back out to a one-turn mile in Sunday’s $100,000 Maddie May for New York-bred sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Malibu Moon bay made her first four starts for the now retired Rick Schosberg, graduating in November traveling gate-to-wire in a one-mile maiden claimer to garner a 50 Beyer Speed Figure. Luna Loca cut back in distance last out on January 6 in her debut for trainer David Duggan and romped to an 8 1/2-length score in an open six-furlong starter optional-claimer contested over a sloppy and sealed Big A main track.

With Kendrick Carmouche up, Luna Loca was bumped at the break before splashing through splits of 22.76 seconds and 46.54, and opening up by 4 1/2-lengths at the stretch call. She continued to widen her margin to the wire to score in a final time of 1:12.06. The winning effort registered a career-best 73 Beyer.

“It was nice to get her a little confidence and she handled a lot of things in that race,” Duggan said. “Kendrick was adamant after that we needed to stretch her out. She's shown some speed, but we think it will ultimately be that one-mile speed where she gets control on the lead.”

Duggan said Luna Loca has improved and grown up with racing experience.

“Now that she has more strength, we feel she'll have no trouble stretching back out,” Duggan said. “She's already won going a mile, but her numbers just needed to be elevated and I think that's come with strength and maturity.”

Luna Loca, out of the Any Given Saturday mare Sweet Love, was purchased for $60,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. She was bred by Joe Fafone.

Jose Gomez will take over from the injured Kendrick Carmouche when Luna Loca breaks from post 2.

Linda Rice will saddle a pair of recent private purchases for Lady Sheila Stable in Les Bon Temps [post 5, Jose Lezcano] and Starry Midnight [post 4, Eric Cancel].

Les Bon Temps, owned by Lady Sheila Stable in partnership with original owners Deuce Greathouse, Cindy Hutson and Brett Setzer, rallied to capture both the one-mile Maid of the Mist in October and the seven-furlong $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue in December in her last two starts here in the care of conditioner Mike Maker.

She launched her career with trainer Norm Casse, winning on debut over a sloppy and sealed main track in May at Churchill Downs ahead of a third-place finish in the Debutante at the Louisville, Kentucky oval. Les Bon Temps was a distant fourth in the Seeking the Ante in August at Saratoga Race Course before joining the Maker barn.

Bred by Southern Equine Stables, Les Bon Temps is out of the Tapizar mare Winsanity, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Ready Signal.

Starry Midnight, owned by Lady Sheila Stable with original owner Bloodlines Racing Partnerships, rallied to a head score sprinting 6 1/2-furlongs in her November 27 debut here for trainer Jorge Abreu. The Connect dark bay was a distant sixth first out for Rice in the Franklin Square over the same distance and track on January 22 after being bumped at the break and racing wide through the turn.

Bred by Dr. James Randall McGlinn, Starry Midnight is out of the winning Street Cry mare Street Singer.

Dream Maker Racing and Bruce Lunsford’s I’mhavingamoment [post 6, Dylan Davis] enters from a winning debut for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The Uncle Mo bay, a $495,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase, garnered a 66 Beyer for her prominent three-length score in a seven-furlong state-bred maiden sprint on December 30 here that featured next-out winners Cairo Sugar – a returning rival – as well as Vax and Hypnocurrency.

Bred by Mia Gallo, Mary Kopley, Michael Newton and Elizabeth Weese, I’mhavingamoment is out of the Distorted Humor mare Averymerrymoment, who is a half-sister to stakes winners Cute Cognac and Gratiaen.

Rounding out the field are Sweetest Princess [post 3, Manny Franco], a maiden winner entering from a fourth-place finish in the nine-furlong Busanda here on January 14 for trainer George Weaver; and Cairo Sugar [post 1, Andrew Wolfsont], who boasts a consistent record of 5-1-2-1 for conditioner Alan Bedard.

The Maddie May is slated as Race 8 on Sunday’s nine-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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

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