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Options aplenty for $125K Excelsior winner Law Professor

by NYRA Press Office

• Options aplenty for $125K Excelsior winner Law Professor
• Repo Rocks training forwardly into G1 Carter H.
• Promiseher America readies for stakes debut in G3 Gazelle
• Toxic Gray eyeing first-level allowance for next start

Twin Creeks Racing Stables’ Law Professor has plenty of options moving forward following his 4 1/4-length score in Saturday’s 111th running of the $125,000 Excelsior at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Law Professor overcame some eager moments through the first turn with a trio of contenders battling for the lead, but was able to track a swift pace set by Keystone Field before making a two-to-three-wide move under jockey Manny Franco and edging clear in the stretch. 

Trainer Rob Atras reported the 5-year-old Constitution gelding was in good order following his impressive score in the nine-furlong test for older horses, where he equaled a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure. 

“He cooled out well, and jogged nice this morning. He’s sound and he ate up everything, so that’s what you want to see,” Atras said.

Atras credited Franco for exercising good judgement aboard Law Professor, who he has now piloted to two stakes victories. 

“Manny got him relaxed and in a good rhythm,” Atras said. “You could tell he was ranging up and finished up well. There were a couple of anxious moments going into that first turn, but Manny did a great job.”

Saturday’s win was Law Professor's fourth lifetime stakes conquest, and third while under Atras’ tutelage. He captured the January 7 Queens County over the local surface, which also produced a 98 Beyer. In his debut for Atras, he won the restricted Tapit in September over the Kentucky Downs lawn. While under the care of Michael McCarthy, he captured the off-the-turf Grade 2 Santa Anita Mathis in December 2021. 

Law Professor entered the Excelsior off a third-place finish to next-out graded stakes winners Last Samurai and West Will Power in the Grade 3 Razorback on February 18 at Oaklawn Park.

Atras said he would nominate the talented dark bay to multiple stakes events, including the nine-furlong Grade 2, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap on April 22. 

“[Oaklawn Park racing secretary] Pat Pope called me up and said, ‘22 days, $1 million!' We’ll nominate and take a look," Atras said. "I would have to talk to Randy [Gullatt] from Twin Creeks about it. He would have to agree, and I would have to look at the race and think we would have a chance to win or at least be very competitive. It’s tough and expensive to ship.”

Given his dual surface versatility, the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy on May 6 going nine furlongs on the turf at Belmont Park could also be a viable option for Law Professor. The previous day at Belmont offers the Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester going a one-turn mile over the main track, which would mean a cut back in distance. 

“It wouldn’t be out of the cards,” said Atras, when asked of a return to grass. “But he’s running so well on dirt right now, we kind of want to keep him there. He’s run some good numbers on grass as well though.”

Atras expressed no interest in the Grade 2, $250,000 Brooklyn on June 10 at Belmont Park, citing its 12-furlong distance.

“I don’t know if a mile and a half is him. I like more of a two-turn mile and an eighth for him,” Atras said. “We’ll probably nominate out of town and just try to pick the best spot. If we’re going to ship, we want to go somewhere where we can win, not just run for second or third.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Atras continued. “It’s nice to have a horse like this where you have options and you have to think about these things.” 

Law Professor, a Kentucky homebred, is out of the Ghostzapper mare Haunted Heroine – a dual stakes winner on turf. His second dam Mona Mia produced Grade 1-winning turf millionaire Celestine. 

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Repo Rocks training forwardly into G1 Carter H.

Double B Racing Stables’ Repo Rocks, a leading contender for Saturday’s seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets, has posted a pair of bullet works at his Parx Racing base since an impressive 3 1/4-length score in the $125,000 Stymie on February 25 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Jamie Ness, the 5-year-old Tapiture gelding worked a half-mile in 47.46 seconds on March 18 and followed on March 27 with a five-eighths effort in 58.36.

“He's been tearing the track up, but he's been doing that for a while now,” Ness said. “He's a horse that likes to train. We train on him pretty strong and as you can see by his workouts, fast horses work fast. We’ll give him a little blowout again tomorrow and if everything goes right, we'll be right on track. We're just trying to follow the same path that we followed to the last couple stakes.”

Repo Rocks, carrying a field-high 124 pounds in the one-turn mile Stymie, overcame a troubled trip under regular rider Andrew Wolfsont where he was boxed in behind rivals in third position before finding a way out late in the turn to best Grade 1-placed Miles D. 

Ness said a good result next weekend could propel Repo Rocks to the Grade 1, $ 1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 10 at Belmont Park which offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November at Santa Anita Park.

“If he runs good on the weekend and comes out of it well, that would definitely be in play,” Ness said. “The owner is from the area, so I want to run him up there as much as possible.”

Repo Rocks is undefeated in four starts since joining the Ness stable, taking the Let’s Give Thanks in November and Blitzen on January 4 at Parx ahead of an 8 1/2-length score in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Toboggan on January 28 at the Big A that garnered a 111 Beyer Speed Figure. Wolfsont, who earned his first graded score in the Toboggan, has piloted Repo Rocks throughout the four-race all-stakes win streak and will retain the mount.

Ness, a perennial leading trainer Parx, won the training title at the recently concluded Laurel Park winter meet. He has previously chased Grade 1 glory with Ghost Hunter [11th, 2017 Arlington Million] and Sneaking Uponyou [6th, 2010 Nearctic at Woodbine], but said he is hopeful that Repo Rocks is capable of landing him a fourth career graded score as a trainer.

“This is a Grade 1 and it's not an easy race. We'll have to bring our 'A' game and hopefully we have him ready for that,” Ness said. “He's prepared and I think he's shown that he's capable of performing at that level. I'm just looking forward to it - no jitters. I'm just hoping everything goes right from now until when they open up the gates, and may the best horse win.”

Bred in Virginia by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, III, Repo Rocks boasts a record of 33-8-6-6 for purse earnings of $639,621.

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Promiseher America readies for stakes debut in G3 Gazelle

Trainer Ray Handal will hope to see impressive maiden winner Promiseher America relish a stretch-out to nine-furlongs in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle for sophomore fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

The Gazelle, which awards 100-40-30-20-10 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks to the top-five finishers, is one of four graded events slated for Saturday’s card, which co-features the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets; the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, a 100-40-30-20-10 qualifier for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore. 

Owned by Hoffman Thoroughbreds and Tom F. McCrocklin, the daughter of American Pharoah was last seen graduating at third asking in a one-turn mile maiden special weight on February 19 over the local going, rallying from fourth-of-5 to post a dominant 6 1/4-length score under Dylan Davis. The effort was awarded a 73 Beyer Speed Figure and came on the heels of a runner-up finish sprinting seven furlongs on January 15. 

“We’re taking on some deep waters but she breezed great, so all systems go. We’ll take a shot and I think she’ll do really well with the stretch out,” said Handal. “I think the longer the better for her. You never know until you put them in there, but she certainly has the build and pedigree for it.” 

Promiseher America posted her final work for the Gazelle on Saturday, breezing a half-mile in 50.85 seconds over the Belmont Park training track in company with Valentine Racing’s Admire My Crown.

“I didn’t want to do too much and wanted to keep her to task,” said Handal. “We wanted an endurance type of breeze and she galloped out six [furlongs] in about 1:16. She really conducts herself in a professional manner, and she’s the same way in the mornings. She does whatever you need her to do and she’s very push-button. She’s ready.”

Handal’s other stakes hopeful this week is Adelphi Racing Club and Cutair Racing’s New York-bred Funny How, who streaks into Friday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap with five consecutive victories dating to a third-out graduation against open company in September at Belmont at the Big A. 

A 4-year-old daughter of Overanalyze, Funny How’s latest victory was a 4 1/4-length triumph in the state-bred Broadway for the first stakes score of her career. All five of Funny How’s victories have come over the Aqueduct main track at distances from six to seven furlongs. She finished on-the-board in her two other starts when third in a pair of state-bred maiden special weights at Belmont and Saratoga Race Course. 

Funny How, bred by Hibiscus Stables, turned in her final work on Friday, covering a half-mile in 49 seconds flat with jockey Katie Davis in the irons. 

“Every work has been awesome, and this one was a little quicker than I wanted it,” Handal said, with a laugh. “She galloped out really nicely and we were looking for 49.50, but I don’t think we can get her to go any slower. She was almost in a canter. When they do it like that, it’s OK to go a little quick. Good horses have a higher cruising speed, and she’s a good example of that.” 

***

Toxic Gray eyeing first-level allowance for next start

Christopher Borducci, George Raymond and David Berley’s talented Toxic Gray will likely target an allowance rather than Saturday’s seven-furlong Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore at Aqueduct Racetrack, according to trainer Michael Miceli. 

Toxic Gray, a sophomore son of Verrazano, was a last-out winner of a six-furlong starter optional claimer on March 5 at the Big A, pouncing from three lengths off the pace to score a tidy 1 1/2-length victory under Eric Cancel and remain a perfect 2-for-2 since being purchased privately and transferred to Miceli earlier this year. He graduated with a narrow head victory two starts back after a dramatic stretch duel with the Brad Cox-trained Everso Mischievous, garnering a 91 Beyer Speed Figure. 

While Toxic Gray has been nominated to the Bay Shore, Miceli said he would like to find a softer spot for the colt’s next start. 

“We’ll see how the stakes comes up, but we’re leaning a little more towards an allowance race as it will be a little bit of an easier task. We’d like to keep him in his winning ways,” Miceli said, with a laugh. “He’s training very well.” 

Toxic Gray began his career in Florida with conditioner Nestor Cascallares and finished second in a $40,000 maiden claimer on December 30 at Tampa Bay Downs that the third and fourth-place finishers exited to graduate next out.

Miceli said that start is what made him look to a starter race for his first outing against winners.

“He had run for the maiden 40 and I figured it was a logical move to get the starter out of the way and then go for a non-winners of one,” said Miceli. “He did well in that spot, so now it’s on to the next condition.” 

Toxic Gray breezed Friday over the Belmont Park dirt training track, covering five furlongs in 1:01.88. 

“He’s a pretty push-button horse,” said Miceli. “He’ll rate if you want him to and if you want him to go 47 [seconds for a half-mile], he’ll do that. If you want him to go 50, he’ll do that, too. He’s got a pretty good mind and he’s pretty easy to train.”

Out of the Speightstown mare Reggae Song, Toxic Gray sold for $13,000 at the 2021 OBS October Yearling Sale.