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Maedean steps into stakes company in Opening Day Tempted at the Big A

by NYRA Press Office

Stakes action at Aqueduct Racetrack kicks off the fall meet when live racing returns to the Big A on Friday, November 1 as a talented field of six juvenile fillies compete in the $150,000 Tempted at one mile.

Friday at the Big A will also feature a full simulcast of the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park, anchored by the Grade 1, $2 million Juvenile, with a local post time of 7:04 p.m. Eastern. The Future Stars Friday Breeders' Cup card begins at 4:12 p.m. with the Grade 2, $1 million Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Courtlandt Farms' Maedean earned a field-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure when graduating impressively at second asking on October 5 in a one-turn mile maiden tilt at Belmont.

Trained by Mark Hennig, the grey daughter of Tapit was purchased for $450,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

"We loved her as an individual," said Hennig. "She had a big walk and watching her at the time, I felt she was a little immature. She's still growing now, but she always looked like a filly that was going to run a long ways, which is what we were shopping for."

Maedean trained with Hennig's string at Saratoga over the summer. But the conditioner waited until September to unveil the attractive filly going long on dirt, despite the filly being out of three-time turf winning Arch dam Summer Solo.

"We were waiting for the distances to get out there to where we felt she would be most effective," said Hennig. "She's been ultra-impressive for us all summer long galloping and breezing. We didn't really need to go seeking out the turf because we knew we had that in our back pocket. If she can run on dirt, all the better."

An even fourth in her September 8 debut under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, Maedean exploded at second asking with a powerful kick to edge clear of her rivals.

"She was very professional. Johnny had a lot of confidence in her after the first race," said Hennig. "I told him she was going to be a short horse in that first race. We didn't quite have her to where she needed to be to win at that distance first out and then she stumbled out of the gate and grabbed her quarter a little bit.

"Second time, Johnny was very confident," continued Hennig. "He said from the time he broke in that second race, she was always there for him. She took dirt but she was push button. He said he rode her like he was driving a car."

Maedean breezed a half-mile in 47.82 seconds on Thursday on the Belmont main track in preparation for her stakes debut.

"She's doing great. She had a nice breeze here the other day. We're hoping the weather stays decent," said Hennig.

Luis Saez will pilot Maedean for the first time on Friday from post 5.

Sweet Kisses, trained by Jeremiah Englehart for owners Johns Martin, Bill J. Rucker, Robert G. Hahn, Jesse J. Englehart, and Josh Allen, was a game second in her June 12 Belmont Park debut to Kiss the Girl, who subsequently ran second in the Grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga.

A daughter of Carpe Diem, Sweet Kisses is a half-sister to graded-stakes winning sprinter Shancelot and she flashed stretch speed at second asking when graduating in a six-furlong maiden sprint on July 19 at Saratoga. Sweet Kisses posted a sharp half-mile breeze in 47.78 seconds on Friday on the Aqueduct main in preparation for her stakes debut.

Junior Alvarado has the call aboard Sweet Kisses, a $290,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase, from post 4.

Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider's homebred Vast, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, graduated at first asking in a July 12 maiden main-track sprint at Saratoga. The Lea bay followed up with an off-the-board effort in the turf Bolton Landing on August 14 at the Spa before returning to the main track last out to win the Hollywood Wildcat by 2 ¾-lengths at Monmouth.

Joe Bravo retains the mount from the inside post.

Phipps Stable homebred Power Move rallied seventh-to-first in her October 6 debut at Belmont to capture a six-furlong maiden sprint. The dark bay daughter of More Than Ready registered a 74 Beyer for her debut score.

Jose Lezcano retains the mount from post 3.

Magic Stable's Ankle Monitor escaped a maiden $16,000 claiming win on July 26 at Laurel to earn a lofty 80 Beyer number when annexing an optional-claiming field by 5 ¼-lengths last out at Parx. Trained by Claudio Gonzalez, the Raison d'Etat chestnut was a modest $3,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Ankle Monitor will emerge from post 2 under Angel Castillo.

Rounding out the field are Cee's Overture, an Ontario-bred daughter of Tiznow trained by Mark Casse. The Chiefswood Stable homebred, out of graded-stakes winner Fifth Overture, won on debut going a mile on the Woodbine turf and will make her dirt and Aqueduct debut under apprentice rider Declan Carroll from post 6.

The Tempted is slated as Race 9 on Friday's 10-race card. First post is 12 p.m.

Saturday's card at Aqueduct will feature the Grade 3, $150,000 Turnback the Alarm, a 1 1/8-mile route for fillies and mares. The Ozone Park oval will also host full simulcast coverage of the Breeders' Cup on Saturday, highlighted by the Grade 1, $6 million Classic, with a locally scheduled post of 8:44 p.m. Doors open at 9 a.m. on Saturday at Aqueduct with first post set for 11 a.m. Fans purchasing a Post Parade program on Saturday will receive a $5 cash card.