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Morello posts career-best 96 BSF in G3 Gotham score

by NYRA Press Office

• Morello posts career-best 96 BSF in G3 Gotham score
• Venti Valentine earns 92 BSF for Busher victory, points to G3 Gazelle next
• Officiating possible for G1 Carter; Skippylongstocking and A.P.'s Secret under consideration for G2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino
• Pletcher duo Dean’s List, Golden Code move forward in G3 Gotham

Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Craig Taylor and Diamond T Racing's Morello registered a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure in winning Saturday's Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the Classic Empire colt stalked and pounced to a 4 1/2-length score in the one-turn mile for sophomores to secure 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. He currently sits fourth in the Derby standings.

Asmussen, who is still in search of a first Kentucky Derby score, also conditions Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter, who tops the Road to the Kentucky Derby standings with 64 points.

Morello is perfect in three career starts - all at the Big A - beginning with a maiden score sprinting six furlongs in November ahead of a five-length romp in the seven-furlong Jimmy Winkfield on February 6.

The next local stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby is the nine-furlong Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 9, which offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. 

Toby Sheets, Asmussen's Belmont-based assistant, said following Saturday's test that the talented chestnut should be able to handle a stretch out in distance.

"I don't see why not. He definitely acts like it," Sheets said.

Sheets said Morello, who has worked almost exclusively over the Belmont dirt training track dating back to June 2021, has continued to improve with racing experience.

"Since he got here and through his last three races, he’s really matured," Sheets said Sunday. "He looks good this morning. He ate up and everything. I’m happy with him."

Bred in Kentucky by Robert B. Tillyer and Dr. Chet Blackey, Morello, out of the Congrats mare Stop the Wedding, was purchased for $250,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

Morello, who should now have enough points to make the "Run for the Roses", could also be a formidable contender in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

Dave Lyon of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds said following Saturday's score that he will leave that decision in the capable hands of North America's winningest trainer.

"We won't get in the way of the trainers. If they tell us we're going to go a mile, we'll go a mile. There's a nice mile race on that day, too. We'll see what happens," Lyon said.

Co-owner of Manhattan-based real estate appraisal firm Metropolitan Valuation Services, Lyon was raised in Saratoga Springs, New York. An alumni of Saratoga Springs High School, Blue Lion Thoroughbreds’ blue and white silks are a nod to his alma mater.

Lyon said Saturday he was pleased with the trip engineered by jockey Jose Lezcano to topple a formidable field of 10 that included graded-stakes winner Rockefeller, a troubled 10th for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert; along with Dean's List [2nd] and Golden Code [3rd] for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

"I like that Jose has left a little more in the tank," Lyon said. "This was a good field. Baffert sent a horse across the country and Pletcher had two horses...we're just a small group of people from Saratoga running against the big dogs and we had the alpha today."

In addition to Morello, Blue Lion Thoroughbreds is also the co-owner of the Ray Handal-trained Fromanothamutha, who finished seventh in the Gotham, and the impressive 4-year-old Disco Pharoah, who graduated by 19 1/2-lengths in Saturday’s opening race.

By American Pharoah and out of the Mineshaft mare Somalia, Disco Pharoah romped at third asking in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight that garnered an 88 Beyer. Disco Pharoah is a half-sibling to multiple graded stakes winner Miss Mo Mentum.

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Venti Valentine earns 92 BSF for Busher victory, points to G3 Gazelle next

NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ Venti Valentine earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure for her dominating win in Saturday’s $250,000 Busher Invitational at the Big A, a one-turn mile for sophomore fillies which awarded 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying to the top-four finishers. 

Piloted by Manny Franco, the New York homebred daughter of Firing Line stalked the pace set by Busanda winner Magic Circle before taking command at the top of the stretch, drawing away to a seven-length victory in a final time of 1:39.65. 

Venti Valentine is the second Busher winner for trainer Jorge Abreu, who also conditioned her half-sister, Espresso Shot, to win the 2019 edition for the same owners along with Maspeth Stables. 

Dan Zanatta, who manages NY Final Furlong Racing Stable with Vince Roth, said the win was meaningful to his partnership, as Venti Valentine now sits second on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 54 points.

“The three-race plan was the Busher, the Gazelle and the Kentucky Oaks. Step one is complete,” Zanatta said. 

Zanatta was part of a large contingent celebrating the victory in the Aqueduct winner’s circle Saturday.

“We’re big on family and friends and anything to make this sport better,” Zanatta said. “Just to see people cheering and enjoying a race on a semi-gloomy Saturday afternoon makes us really happy.”

Roth said he is hopeful Venti Valentine will continue to improve with distance. 

“We think she’ll handle two turns better than she handled today, so it’s onward,” said Roth. 

Abreu said he appreciates the opportunity to train for Venti Valentine’s owners. 

“I was looking at the replay and thought she ran really impressively,” Abreu said. “The owners are great. They’re a great group who gets very excited because they’ve never had a horse like this before. It’s been a good run with them.” 

Venti Valentine’s Busher win came on the heels of a close second-place effort to next-out Suncoast winner Nest in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct on December 4. Piloted by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, Venti Valentine was beaten just a neck in her graded stakes debut. 

“I thought I was going to win that race,” said Abreu of the bay filly’s Demoiselle effort. “Manny was on [Magic Circle] that day and she kind of spooked and that stopped [Venti Valentine’s] momentum. Johnny said that if she didn’t have that problem, she probably would have beaten Nest that day.”

Abreu said that Venti Valentine will point to a start in the nine-furlong Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle on April 9 at the Big A, which awards 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the top-four finishers. 

“We’ll target the Gazelle and if everything goes good there, she’ll be on her way to Churchill Downs,” said Abreu. “We’ll play it by ear and see how things turn out. Right now, we’re just enjoying the moment.”

Abreu will try for another Aqueduct stakes win next Sunday when Agility returns in the $100,000 Damon Runyon for state-bred sophomores sprinting seven furlongs. 

The son of Practical Joke made his stakes debut last time out in the 6 1/2-furlong Rego Park, finishing second to the undefeated Barese while holding onto place honors by a neck over multiple stakes-placed Daufuskie Island. 

After the Rego Park, Agility was given a short rest and spent a month at Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Florida before returning to Belmont Park to breeze four furlongs in 49.22 seconds over the dirt training track on March 2. 

“He came out of that race really well,” Abreu said. “I took him to Florida for a little while to give him a refresher and I worked him pretty good here with Dylan [Davis]. Dylan is going to ride him. He breezed really well and I’m going to breeze him one more time. Hopefully he’ll get it done.” 

Lightly-raced Star Devine, who has been on the bench since a gutsy win in the Galway at Saratoga Race Course on August 15, will be making her return to the races within the next month after she resumed training again at Palm Meadows in February. 

The bay Irish-bred daughter of Fastnet Rock was a debut winner at the Big A last April before a fourth in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly and a third in an allowance en route to her Galway win. 

“She came out of that race good but she’s one of those horses that’s weird. She can run and then come back and not act the same,” Abreu said. “So we gave her some time off and she’s filled out really nice. I may run her at Keeneland on April 16 or [at Aqueduct] on April 1.” 

Abreu also recently welcomed back graded stakes-placed Shawdyshawdyshawdy to Belmont to prepare for his first start since September. The 4-year-old Summer Front gelding picked up graded black type when he finished third in the Grade 3 Pennine Ridge at Belmont in May. 

“We gave him time off because he had a tough campaign and got a little tired, so we sent him to the farm,” said Abreu. “He grew and is doing a lot better – he’s much more mature this year.” 

Abreu also conditions Jabberwock, a promising 3-year-old half-sister to Shawdyshawdyshawdy who ran fourth on debut over a sloppy and sealed Big A on February 25 with Dylan Davis up. 

“I thought she didn’t run a bad race," Abreu said. "The track was sealed and Dylan came back and told me he didn’t want to [push] her because she wasn’t in love with the track. I’d rather him do that because there’s always another day. She seemed pretty mature and she ran better than I thought she was going to run.” 

Abreu said he is looking forward to the debut of the 3-year-old Fastnet Rock filly Libretto on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs. The dark bay breezed a half-mile from the gate in 49.05 at Palm Meadows on March 5. 

“She’s running on Saturday in a maiden race and she’s pretty nice,” said Abreu. “We’re hoping she turns out to be a really nice horse.” 

Stakes winning New York-bred filly Runaway Rumour will return from a four-month layoff in Saturday’s Grade 2 Hillsborough at Tampa Bay Downs for owner Lawrence Goichman. The daughter of Flintshire won the Wild Applause at Belmont last year and closed out her sophomore season with a game fifth in the Winter Memories at Aqueduct. 

“I think she was just looking for a little rest,” Abreu said of her last effort. “She had a hard campaign as a 3-year-old and every time she ran, she showed up. After that, we just shut her off and sent her to the farm for 45 days. We brought her back and she’s doing great in Florida.”

Abreu also noted that Goichman’s multiple stakes-winning mare Myhartblongstodady has been retired from racing and will likely be bred to Essential Quality this spring. The daughter of Scat Daddy closed out her four-season career with a win in the John Hettinger at Belmont on October 1. 

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Officiating possible for G1 Carter; Skippylongstocking and A.P.'s Secret under consideration for G2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino

Vegso Racing Stable's Florida homebred Officiating registered a career-best 95 Beyer in a 5 1/2-length score in Saturday's six-furlong Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr. and piloted by Manny Franco, the 4-year-old Blame colt stalked the early foot of defending race champ Chateau before taking command in the stretch run, stopping the clock in 1:12.22 over the fast main track.

"It was his best effort so far and hopefully he can move forward from this and have a great year," Joseph, Jr. said. "He bounced out of the race good this morning and ate up. He's on his way back to Florida."

Joseph, Jr. said Officiating will now target the seven-furlong, Grade 1 $300,000 Carter Handicap on April 9 at the Big A.

"We'll think about the Carter and see how it's coming up. If we think we have a shot, we'll give it a go," Joseph, Jr. said.

C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable's Kentucky Derby hopeful White Abarrio breezed a half-mile in 47.12 Sunday over the Gulfstream Park main track, posting the second fastest work of 125 efforts at the distance.

"He went excellent. It was his second breeze back and he went really well in 47. He finished up in 23 flat and galloped out superb in 1:13,," Joseph, Jr. said. "We're very happy with where he's at right now."

The sophomore son of Race Day won the Grade 3 Holy Bull in February at Gulfstream by 4 1/2-lengths over Simplification, who exited that effort to win Saturday's Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at the Hallandale oval.

"Yesterday's result really franked the form and gives you some confidence when you know the form is legit," Joseph, Jr. said. "We just need him to stay healthy and sound. We know he has the class and the ability. We just want to have a smooth preparation now and if all goes well, we're sitting on one of the top contenders."

White Abarrio is currently 14th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 12 points. He is slated to make his next start in the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

Joseph, Jr. said he would send at least one horse up for the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, a nine-furlong test for sophomores on April 9 at the Big A which offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers. 

Both two-time winner Skippylongstocking and A.P.'s Secret, seventh in Saturday's Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, are under consideration.

"We'll give the Wood a shot with at least one of those horses, but we don't know which one yet," Joseph, Jr. said.

Joseph, Jr. said Red Oak Stable's multiple stakes winner Make It Big will take some time off following an off-the-board effort in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis on February 12 at Tampa Bay Downs.

"We didn't really have any excuses, so we backed up on him and sent him to the farm for a bit to give him a little freshening," Joseph, Jr. said. "We'll bring him back for the spring and summer. It's a long year and hopefully he'll come back to form."

John Fanelli, Cash is King, LC Racing, Paul Braverman and Team Hanley's multiple graded stakes placed New York-bred Ny Traffic finished fifth in Saturday's Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile which was won in emphatic fashion by Speaker's Corner.

With Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, Ny Traffic closed from seventh to finish fifth.

"I thought it was an OK comeback. Obviously, you would like to hit the board or win, but no one was beating the winner and we weren't beaten too far for second," Joseph, Jr. said. "Off a layoff, I thought it was credible. He was wide early and Irad didn't want to stay too wide and took him inside, but he wasn't comfortable getting the kickback in his face. Overall, I think it's a race he will move forward from. He'll run quite often in New York this year all being well."

Joseph, Jr, who expects to have 16 horses based in New York this spring, said Ny Traffic could also come under consideration for the Carter.

***

Pletcher duo Dean’s List, Golden Code move forward in G3 Gotham

Dean’s List and Golden Code added their names to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard when running a respective second and third in Saturday’s Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct Racetrack, a 50-20-10-5 qualifying event, for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. 

Currently ninth on the leaderboard, Dean’s List earned 20 points for his runner-up finish in the Gotham while stablemate Golden Code earned 10 points and currently sits at No. 26. 

“Both looked good, ate up last night. We’re happy where we’re at with both of them,” said Pletcher’s Belmont-based assistant Byron Hughes.

Owned by breeder WinStar Farm in partnership with Siena Farm, Dean’s List controlled a moderate tempo down the backstretch of the one-turn mile Gotham under Manny Franco, with Morello tracking a close second. Nearing the three-sixteenths pole Dean’s List gave way to Morello, finishing 4 1/2 lengths behind the undefeated Gotham winner. Dean’s List, by Speightstown, earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. 

Dean’s List arrived at the Gotham off two six-furlong victories at Gulfstream Park. Following a decisive 5 ½-length win on December 11, Dean’s List had to earn his next-out triumph against winners four weeks later, battling gamely to the inside of subsequent graded stakes placed Dean Delivers, fifth in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream, to win by a neck.

“I thought he ran well,” Hughes said. “He fought hard there until the end. I thought he looked good, especially stretching out for the first time. He came back in good shape and we’ll go from there.”

Dean’s List is out of the multiple stakes-winning Distorted Humor mare Mildly Offensive, who is a half-sister to It’s No Joke – a graded stakes winner at ten furlongs – as well as seven-furlong stakes-winner Keep Laughing. 

Calumet Farm’s Golden Code was forwardly placed and in the clear down the backstretch under Kendrick Carmouche. He battled to the inside of Life Is Great down the stretch, getting the better of his stakes-placed foe to hold third by a head. 

Bred in New York by Barry R. Ostrager, the son of Honor Code entered the Gotham off a runaway 10 3/4-length maiden win at second asking on February 5 at Aqueduct. 

“I think he’s still learning a little bit,” Hughes said. “Every race, he’s maturing more and more. Kendrick did a good job of getting his face in the clear. He fought until the end also and it was an encouraging race for him as well.”

Golden Code was a $95,000 buy as a weanling at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. He is out of the stakes-winning Banker’s Gold mare Jb’s Golden Regret.