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Red-hot Funny How could target G3 Distaff Handicap

by NYRA Press Office

·    Red-hot Funny How could target G3 Distaff Handicap

·    Piece of My Heart makes first start off the claim in $125K Heavenly Prize

·    Drafted breezes for G3 Tom Fool Handicap

·    Aqueduct Racetrack Week 9 stakes probables

Newly minted stakes victress Funny How, winner of Sunday’s $100,000 Broadway at Aqueduct Racetrack, has been doing anything but clowning around with a win streak of five straight races. 

The 4-year-old New York-bred daughter of Overanalyze could look to carry that momentum into the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap on April 7 at the Big A, according to co-owner Matt Cutair, the proprietor of Cutair Racing as well as one of three founders of Funny How’s co-owner Adelphi Racing Club. 

Cutair said the Distaff’s spacing as well as its seven-furlong distance make it an appealing target for their rising star, who is trained by Ray Handal. 

“She loves Aqueduct. She’s won five at the track, so we definitely want to try to get another start in before Belmont,” said Cutair. “That race is seven furlongs, which is the same distance as the Broadway, and the spacing works really well for her after that big effort. Ray is pretty committed to wanting to do that so that’s what we’ll probably wind up doing.” 

Funny How began her hot streak in her Big A debut, breaking her maiden going six furlongs against open company in September over next-out winners Arrogant Lady and Kitten’s Appeal. She defeated fellow New York-breds in her following two efforts before stretching out to seven furlongs against open allowance company on January 7. 

Despite a slow break, Funny How handled her stakes debut with vigor, making a five-wide bid in upper stretch to collar pacesetter November Rein and stride away to a 4 1/4-length conquest under Katie Davis. The win garnered a career-best 86 Beyer Speed Figure. 

“She’s a special filly. You don’t win five in a row and climb up the class ladder like that often, so it adds to the experience,” Cutair said. “We had high expectations for her on Sunday, but we knew it would be a big step up in class so for her. To win the race was obviously thrilling and for her to do it the way that she did with the bad break was special. Katie gave her an awesome ride.” 

Cutair said the Distaff is the preferred target, but the team will keep the open company $100,000 Correction on March 11 going six furlongs and the $100,000 Biogio’s Rose for New York-bred fillies and mares going a one-turn mile the following day under consideration. 

“We’ll look at those two races, but with her going as well as she is right now and wanting to stay at the same distance, the Grade 3 makes the most sense,” Cutair said. 

The Broadway was a tall ask for Funny How, who defeated graded-stakes placed Betsy Blue and multiple New York-bred Champion Bank Sting in the event. 

“I really felt she would run her race. The question was if she was good enough because she was facing far superior horses than she would have faced before,” Cutair said. “I thought she would run well and I thought she would try as hard as she could. The first few jumps out of the gate I was worried, but from that point forward she seemed to be travelling comfortably and taking Katie along.” 

Cutair is the standalone owner of Cutair Racing, but operates Adelphi Racing Club alongside managing partner Jordan Zotts and Brian Hahn. He described Adelphi Racing Club as, “an awesome group of people that are in it for the right reasons.” 

“We try to make it about the experience and try to ensure that the people getting involved are getting involved for the same reason we’re in it for,” Cutair explained. “I’ve been in partnerships as a partner and success on the track does matter a ton, but who you’re partnered with, the experience and how everyone gets along is the important part at the end of the day.” 

Bred in the Empire State by Hibiscus Stables, Funny How is out of the Distorted Humor mare Heavenly Humor, who also produced 2020 New York-bred Champion Sprinter Funny Guy. She was purchased for $120,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale by Joe Migliore. 

“He loved the filly at the sale and I think that’s why he called me about her,” Cutair said of her notable pedigree. “At that point, we were trying to focus on buying fillies with some pedigree and we always try to support the New York program so she checked those boxes. He loved her physically and she was the only one we bought at that sale. She sold pretty early and we were lucky to get her. It was as stress free a sale as you can get.” 

Cutair went on to sing praises on behalf of Handal. 

“Since I’ve started owning horses on my own, Ray was the first trainer I worked with,” Cutair said. “He’s always been the trainer we utilize the most. He’s a young guy, he’s ambitious and works really hard. The team there is great and he checks all the boxes for me and for trying to breed a partner experience. He does a good job of welcoming people into the barn.” 

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Piece of My Heart makes first start off the claim in $125K Heavenly Prize 

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez will send out his newly acquired Piece of My Heart for a try at her second stakes conquest in Saturday’s $125,000 Heavenly Prize, a one-mile main track test for older fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

Piece of My Heart, who Rodriguez claimed for $80,000 out of a runner-up effort in a seven-furlong optional claimer on February 10, enters amid a strong run of form that includes a victory three starts back in a January 3 optional claimer and a runner-up effort to then-stablemate Betsy Blue in the Interborough on January 21. The daughter of Flat Out has won or finished second in each of her last six outings. 

“She’s good and I’ve been taking her with the pony every day and don’t let her do too much,” said Rodriguez. “She just ran a week ago, so I’m just kind of babying her and trying to keep her happy. This is a good spot for her.” 

Rodriguez said he had originally intended to claim Piece of My Heart when she was entered to race here on February 3, but had to change his plans when that card was canceled due to high winds and extreme cold. Rodriguez indicated he had hoped to run the mare in the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie tomorrow at Laurel Park if he had claimed her a week prior as he had planned. 

The Heavenly Prize will be Piece of My Heart’s first start at one-mile since finishing an even fifth in an optional claimer in April 2021 at Oaklawn Park. She has since made 15 starts at sprint distances, but Rodriguez is hopeful her tactical speed will allow her to wire the field under Manny Franco from post 4 in the field of 5. 

“I’m going to tell the jockey to put her on the lead and hope for the best,” Rodriguez said. “Coming off the short race, I don’t think that will be a problem for her. If they leave her alone and give her an easy lead, we’ll take it. If they go, she can sit. Hopefully, it works.” 

Piece of My Heart, who boasts a 28-4-10-4 record with $394,230 in earnings, is out of the unraced Sunriver mare Intheriver – a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winner Weemissfrankie – and could attract interest as a broodmare once her racing career concludes.

“We got lucky that we got her because there was a four-way shake,” Rodriguez said. “I thought I was going to be the only one at 80, but people want good and consistent horses and I don’t think people hesitate about how much they pay for it. $80,000 is a lot of money, but I think as a broodmare she’s worth that, too.”

***

Drafted breezes for G3 Tom Fool Handicap 

Dublin Fjord Stables, Racepoint Stables, Kevin D. Hilbert and Thomas O’Keefe’s multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Drafted breezed a half-mile solo in 47.40 seconds Thursday over the Belmont Park dirt training track. 

Trained by David Duggan, the 9-year-old Field Commission gelding is pointing to the six-furlong Grade 3, $150,000 Tom Fool Handicap on March 4 following his closing third-place effort in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Toboggan on January 28 here. 

“We're on target for the Tom Fool,” Duggan said. “He'll have one more work and we'll keep everything ticking over. He's an old-timer and keep it simple works for him. He's bounced out of the last race very well and the timing between the races is perfect.” 

Drafted won 4-of-9 starts in 2022, led by NYRA circuit scores in the Grade 3 Toboggan, Grade 3 Runhappy, and Gravesend along with a narrow victory in the Mr. Prospector at Monmouth Park. 

Last out, in his seasonal debut, Drafted rallied from sixth position to finish 1 1/4-lengths back of runner-up Little Vic, who was a further 8 1/2-lengths back of the victorious Repo Rocks. The winner garnered a lofty 111 Beyer Speed Figure, while Drafted registered a 92 Beyer, which was just one point less than the number earned for his nose score over Little Vic in the six-furlong Gravesend on December 30 here. 

“We ran our race the last time. We just got beat a by a better horse on the day,” Duggan said. 

Clear Stars Stable, Mitre Box Stable, Big Toe Stables and Koshanostra Stables’ stakes-placed D’ont Lose Cruz is targeting the $100,000 Gander, a one-turn mile for state-bred sophomores on February 25 at the Big A. 

The Always Dreaming gelding, bred by Southern Oak Farm, made his first three starts traveling six furlongs at the Big A for the now retired Rick Schosberg, graduating at second asking in October ahead of a runner-up effort to Acoustic Ave in the Notebook on November 25. 

With Irad Ortiz, Jr. up in the Notebook, D’ont Lose Cruz set splits of 23.38 and 47.59 over the fast main track, but had to settle for second, finishing a half-length back of Acoustic Ave in a final time of 1:13.68. 

Ortiz, Jr. said after the race that D’ont Lose Cruz was hard to handle down the lane. 

“He wasn’t helping me too much with drifting a little. I had to fight with him the whole stretch,” said Ortiz, Jr. 

D’ont Lose Cruz added blinkers next out and made his debut for Duggan a winning one, taking a six-furlong state-bred optional-claimer on January 15 here in stalking fashion under Kendrick Carmouche. 

“Last time, he answered a lot of question for us,” Duggan said. “Irad had suggest putting blinkers on. He was a little immature and lacking a bit of focus, but the raw talent was there. Kendrick liked what he saw the last time. It didn't make him too on the muscle, and he actually tracked back off the speed which was a trait we didn't think he had.” 

Duggan said the $100,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, out of the multiple stakes-winning D’wildcat mare D’wild Ride, should relish a stamina test in the Gander. 

“He acts and trains like a horse that needs to stretch out and this is a prime opportunity to see if this is our gig,” Duggan said. “He's getting stronger and more mature. He tries and he's done very well. I like what I’m seeing right now.” 

Ken Wheeler, Jr.’s Kant Hurry Love, a 4-year-old daughter of Kantharos, earned an 82 Beyer for a 7 1/4-length score in a state-bred optional-claiming sprint here on February 5. 

Bred by Dr. John M. McDermott and Laura G. McDermott, the $40,000 purchase from the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase boasts a record of 12-3-4-3 for purse earnings of $225,500. She made her first 11 starts with conditioner Christophe Clement, earning a career-best 85 Beyer two starts back with a five-length romp over a sloppy and sealed Big A main track on January 6. 

Duggan said he was pleased to see Kant Hurry Love return with a big speed figure last out when winning over a fast track. 

“She backed up the wet track number which was important,” Duggan said. 

Kant Hurry Love will target a race against winners on February 25 here. She is out of the Langfuhr mare She’s All Love, who is a half-sister to multiple graded-stakes placed Bonus Points and stakes winner Candid Desire.

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Aqueduct Racetrack Week 9 stakes probables

Saturday, February 25 

$100K Gander (NYB)

Probable: D’ont Lose Cruz (David Duggan), Dr. Kraft (Chris Englehart), Kid Billy (Bill Mott), Maker’s Candy (Mike Maker), Neural Network (Chad Brown), Starquist (John Kimmel) 

$125K Stymie

Probable: Black Belt (Peter Walder), Bourbonic (Todd Pletcher), Far Mo Power (Louis Linder, Jr.), Miles D (C. Brown), Tough Tickets (Harold Wyner)

Possible: Double Crown (Norman Cash), Plot the Dots (Cash), Winit (Kimmel)