Rodriguez wins two on Winter Starter Championships Day
Trainer Rudy Rodriguez won with Power Seeker and Peek on Saturday’s lucrative Winter Starter Championships program featuring seven starter allowance events offering a combined $545,000 in purse money, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Each of the Winter Starter Championships races, which are open to horses that have started for a prescribed claiming price in 2025-26, are named after some of the most popular claiming horses to run on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit.
“This card is very, very good. This is what we work for,” Rodriguez said. “All of our people work very hard for this kind of day. We try to find horses for these kinds of races. That’s the bottom line. [Fellow trainers] Linda Rice, Ilkay Kantarmaci, my brother Gustavo [Rodriguez] – everybody looks for these kinds of races. The purses are good, but you’ve got to win them. Our horses ran great today. That is a plus.”
Power Seeker [No. 6, $11.86] stalked the pacesetting Bob John Ray down the backstretch before putting a head in front into the final turn and powering away to a 6 1/4-length score in the co-featured $85,000 Stud Muffin [Race 8], an 11-furlong stamina test for older horses which have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2025-26.
Trained and co-owned by Rodriguez with Patrick Mogauro, Jr., the 7-year-old Distorted Humor dark bay was piloted to victory by Ruben Silvera and stopped the clock in a final time of 2:18.92. Sharp Spark, Margie’s Fun Son and Centavo completed the superfecta with Adventurist, Good Bali, Unbridled Bomber, Bob John Ray and Kevin’s Strike rounding out the order of finish. Indy Rags was scratched.
“He broke good, and I tried to hold him and wait in the stretch [the first time by] because it’s a long race,” Silvera said. “I was comfortable. I tried to open it up a little bit when he came to the stretch, and he switched leads, and he went on.”
The Virginia-bred Power Seeker was claimed for $20,000 from a winning effort in November here traveling a one-turn mile and secured his first win for current connections in his fifth attempt. He improved his record to 21-5-3-2.
Sweet Laura [No. 4, $5.50*] was much the best in the co-featured $85,000 Sis City [Race 4], a one-turn mile for older filles and mares which have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2025-26.
Trained and co-owned by Jamie Ness with Joseph Lynn, the 7-year-old Greenpointcrusader mare, with Mychel Sanchez aboard, swept to the lead through the turn and powered away to a six-length score in a final time of 1:37.81. Minnesota Munny completed the exacta with Pistol Liz Ablazen and Bourbon Serengeti rounding out the superfecta followed by Rachel’s Rock, She’s Cool, Shetalkstomuch and Pens Street.
Sweet Laura, bred in Florida by St. Elias Stables, was haltered for $25,000 from a winning effort in December at Parx Racing. She improved her record to 46-13-7-8.
The Winter Starter Championships action kicked off in Race 3 as Jay A. Lieberman’s Sheriff Bianco [No. 3, $16.12] scored in his first effort off the claim for trainer Rachel Sells in the $80,000 Peeping Tom, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older horses which have started for a claiming price of $20,000 or less in 2025-26.
Guided to victory by Chris Elliott, Sheriff Bianco tracked in last-of-4 down the backstretch as Spirit Dragon marked the opening quarter-mile in 23.70 seconds over the fast main track under pressure from Carvellian Quest.
The two trailers, Scoot Daddy and Sheriff Bianco, ranged up in the turn to make it four across the track through the half-mile in 46.84 before Sheriff Bianco unleashed a strong turn-of-foot widest of all in the lane to run down his rivals and cross the wire three-quarter-lengths in front of Carvellian Quest in a final time of 1:18.47. Scoot Daddy and Spirit Dragon completed the order of finish, and Burninhunkoflove, Kid Billy, Market Maven and Proprietary Trade were scratched.
Bred in New York by SF Bloodstock, the 8-year-old stakes-winning son of Speightster was claimed for $20,000 out of a local win last out on March 6 and improved his record to 50-9-14-10.
Peek [No. 3, $14.62] launched a mild upset at odds of 6-1 in the $75,000 More to Tell [Race 5], a one-turn mile for older horses which have started for a claiming price of $16,000 or less in 2025-26.
Trained and co-owned by Rudy Rodriguez with Courtney Irving, the 6-year-old Candy Ride gelding, with apprentice Dalila Rivera aboard, stalked a pace battle between J J’s Ranger and longshot Dr. Merciless, pouncing to the lead in the lane and winning by 3 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:37.57. J J’s Ranger held second, with Lotsa Trouble and Life and Light completing the superfecta. Farm Team, Shootersgottashoot, Flat On and Dr. Merciless rounded out the order of finish. Great Richie M and Laughing Boy were scratched.
Peek, bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. William L. Pape, was haltered for $10,000 out of a runner-up effort in November here and improved his record to 24-5-4-4 overall.
Mad Dog Racing Stable’s Bam’s Bliss Kiss [No. 2, $3.22*] brought her win streak to five straight with a romping 7 3/4-length win in the $80,000 Videogenic [Race 6], a six-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares which have started for a claiming price of $20,000 or less in 2025-26.
Trained by Jorge Abreu and ridden by Jaime Rodriguez, the New York-bred Solomini 4-year-old overtook the sharp-starting La Gran Artesana early and never looked back, marking splits of 23.41 seconds, 47.01 and 58.80 over the fast footing en route to the easy victory in a final time of 1:10.96. Brzina completed the exacta over Despo’s Dream, with Mezcalifornia, Looks First, City Blocks, Literary and La Gran Artesana rounding out the order of finish. Majestic Return was scratched.
Bred by Torie D. Gladwell, Bam’s Bliss Kiss was haltered by Abreu for $45,000 out of a win in a state-bred optional claimer on December 31. Her record now stands at 17-7-1-3.
Saratoga Dreams Racing’s Master of Arms [No. 9, $13.52] prevailed for a Rodriguez riding double in the $70,000 Dads Caps [Race 7], a six-furlong sprint for older horses which have started for a claiming price of $12,500 or less in 2025-26.
Trained by Horacio De Paz, the 7-year-old Mastery gelding was one of four rivals in with a chance during the stretch run, separating himself narrowly in the final sixteenth to defeat Forgiving Spirit by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:11.39. Lucky Dude and Shoot the Nickel completed the superfecta, with Dot’s Dollar and Cold Feet rounding out the order of finish. Messi the Magician, Total Sensation, Play and Glint were scratched.
Master of Arms, bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones, was claimed for $16,000 in January here and improved his record to 35-8-8-5 while making his second start for current connections.
JKX Racing’s Pink Rose [No. 3, $10.96] rallied down the center of the course to cap the card in the $70,000 Belle Gallantey [Race 9], a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares which have started for a claiming price of $12,500 or less in 2025-26.
Trained by Chad Summers, the 5-year-old Palace Malice bay, piloted by Luis Rivera, Jr., showed the strongest turn-of-foot outside of her closing rivals to defeat Best Impression by one length in a final time of 1:25.27. Coquito and Mursal, each game approaching the wire, were a respective third and fourth. Golden Eib Micrphn, Edistrudis, Lika Rolling Stone, Whistler’s Style and Farm House rounded out the order of finish, while Miss Lao, Jackie the Joker and Pop Rox were scratched.
Bred in Kentucky by Hinkle Farms, Pink Rose was haltered for $16,000 in August at Penn National, then made a pair of starts for trainer Ernesto Padilla-Preciado before her most recent two outings for Summers. She improved to 24-8-6-4 overall.
Live racing resumes Sunday for Closing Day of the Big A winter meet with an eight-race card featuring the Listed $175,000 Top Flight in Race 7 and the $135,000 Haynesfield in Race 8. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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