Francesca Le Donne Photo

Save goes from Big Easy to Big Apple in $100K Cicada

by Ryan Martin

Mineola Farm II and Eclipse Thoroughbreds Partners’ Save has an unblemished record through two starts but will step outside her comfort zone and ship to New York for Saturday’s 28th running of the $100,000 Cicada at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The six-furlong event for 3-year-old fillies is named in honor of the first filly to be named champion at ages 2, 3 and 4. Owned by Meadow Stable, who were best known for campaigning the great Secretariat, Cicada captured prestigious events such as the Kentucky Oaks as well as the Frizette,

Spinaway, Acorn and Mother Goose in New York. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1967.

Trainer Tom Amoss will send Save, a daughter of Violence, to New York by way of New Orleans, where she won both of her career starts going six furlongs at Fair Grounds Race Course. Unraced as a juvenile, Save commenced her career with a 1 1/2-length New Year’s Day triumph, tracking a close second behind the pacesetter before engaging in a stretch duel.

Save arrives at the Cicada off a gate-to-wire triumph against winners on February 16, where she lugged out in the last eighth of a mile but still was able to secure the victory by 1 1/4 lengths and appeared to have plenty left in reserve on the gallop out.

“In her last race she drifted out a bit,” Amoss said. “However, she has not given any indication either before or after the race that she has issues with that. A lot of it is both education and experience.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners bought into Save following her maiden victory.

“They’re a dream to work with and hopefully I have more opportunities in with them the near future,” Amoss said.

Leading rider Kendrick Carmouche vies for an eighth stakes win of the Aqueduct winter meet as he pilots Save from post 4.

Trainer Ray Handal entered a pair of daughters of second-crop sire Constitution in Just Read It and Irish Constitution.

Owned by Handal with Ken Russell and Brown Road Racing, Just Read It will attempt to make amends after a distant sixth in the Cincinnati Trophy over the synthetic surface on February 26 at Turfway Park. She broke her maiden in impressive fashion at Aqueduct going the Cicada distance, drawing off a 6 1/4-length winner on January 31.

Handal purchased Just Read It for $70,000 out of the OBS 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale last June. She is out of the Broken Vow mare Mybrokenhome whose dam Welcome Home is also the second dam of graded stakes winner Venetian Harbor. 

“I had this race on my radar for a while. I was debating whether I’d wait for this or go to Kentucky and I decided to go here,” Handal said. “When I talked to the jock [Emanuel Esquivel] after the last race, he said she was not extending. She was barely blowing when she came back, and she bounced back really well. She looked awesome when she shipped back up to New York.”

Jockey Dylan Davis was aboard for her maiden triumph and returns to the saddle from post 5.

Perrine Time Thoroughbreds and West Paces Racing’s stakes-placed Irish Constitution arrives off a week’s rest after defeating state-bred winners at six furlongs on March 12. The chestnut filly earned black type in her third start when a close second in the Joseph A. Gimma on October 1 at Belmont Park.

“I’ve had some luck running off short rest,” said Handal. “We’ve always really liked her. She’s always one I’ve been high on. She bounced out of her last race really well, it was like a nice strong workout for her.”

Bred in New York by SF Bloodstock, Irish Constitution is out of the multiple stakes-winning D’wildcat mare D’wildride. 

Jockey Pablo Morales has the call from post 2.

Trainer Linda Rice will saddle Alpha Delta Stables' Salt Plage after earning black-type in the seven-furlong Wide Country on February 20 at Laurel Park.

Salt Plage won her first two starts at Parx Racing going six furlongs with an off-the-pace running style.

The bay daughter of Quality Road encountered adversity in her November 23 debut when steadied early on and made a five-wide at the top of the stretch to win with plenty in reserve. She defeated winners on January 25 when riding along the rail into the far turn before making a sweeping move at the quarter pole, drawing off by six-lengths. 

A Kentucky homebred, Salt Plage is out of the French Deputy mare French Satin, making her a full-sister to graded stakes-winning sprinter Long Haul Bay and a half-sister to stakes-winner Scilly Cay, both also trained by Rice.

Salt Plage breaks from post 3 under Eric Cancel.

Completing the field is Nauticat Racing's Exogen, shipping from Parx for trainer Miguel Penaloza. The Dialed In filly won her last out debut for her trainer going six furlongs on February 24 at Parx.

Jockey Manny Franco rides from post 1.

The Cicada is slated as Race 3 on Saturday nine-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.