NYRA/Coglianese Photo

Significant Form returns to action in Memories of Silver

by Heather Pettinger

Talented maiden winners A True Giant, Retonova headline NYSS Times Square

A pair of stakes races will bring down the curtain on the Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet Sunday with the $100,000 Memories of Silver for 3-year-old fillies on the grass and the $100,000 New York Stallion Series Times Square division for sophomore sprinters anchoring a 10-race card on Closing Day.

Stephanie Seymour Brant's Significant Form will make her first start since finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf as one of two Chad Brown-trained entrants in the Memories of Silver, carded as Race 8.

The gray Creative Cause filly crossed the wire first in her unveiling on the turf last summer at Saratoga Race Course but was disqualified for interference in the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight. She graduated in impressive fashion next time out with a one-length victory in the Grade 3 Miss Grillo on October 1 at Belmont Park. Significant Form, a $575,000 2-year-old-in-training purchase, closed out her juvenile campaign in the Breeders' Cup, where she stalked early and turned for home five wide in the field of 14 to check in 2 ½ lengths behind stablemate Rushing Fall.

"She's a horse we've rested all winter and we're looking forward to getting her back," said Brown. "She's filled out. She's a little bigger and stronger this year. The time out suited her well. She's a more mature horse and this is a good starting point."

Irad Ortiz, Jr., who was aboard for Significant Form's three career starts, has the return call. Installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite, Significant From will break from post 2.

Fellow Brown trainee Wealth Effect, 15-1 on the morning line, will get back on the turf following a fourth-place finish in the January 25 Busanda as she leaves from the rail with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in the irons.

Klaravich Stable's chestnut daughter of Curlin broke her maiden at second asking at 1 1/16 miles on the grass in October before finishing third to fellow Memories of Silver contender Oh Zap in an optional claimer on November 25. Wintering in New York, Wealth Effect tested out the main track in a pair of races at Aqueduct, turning in a close runner-up finish in a December 29 optional claiming race before the Busanda, where she was beaten 12 ¾ lengths by Midnight Disguise.

"Wealth Effect broke her maiden on the turf, then we tried her in the wintertime on the dirt," said Brown. "It didn't work out as well so we're going back to the grass and we'll see how she does."

Talented maiden winner Coffee Crush will wade into deeper waters as she makes her stakes debut for trainer Jimmy Toner, who conditioned Memories of Silver to Grade 1 wins in the 1996 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and the 1997 Beverly D.

Coffee Crush, by Medaglia d'Oro, finished a troubled fifth in her first start on September 27 before breaking her maiden by 3 ¼ lengths December 3 at a mile on the turf. Coffee Crush (7-2) will be ridden by Manny Franco from post 4.

Rounding out the field for the Winter Memories is Lael Stable's homebred Layla Noor, third in the Grade 2 Demoiselle for trainer Arnaud Delacour last time out and cross-entered in the Weber City Miss on Saturday at Laurel Park; Stronach Stable's Sweet Sting, who finished a late-closing fourth in a March 14 optional claimer at Gulfstream Park for trainer Jimmy Jerkens; and Robert S. Evans' undefeated Oh Zap (4-1, post 3), getting Lasix for the first time following back-to-back wins for the Christophe Clement barn.

Recent maiden winners A True Giant and Retonova headline a field of seven in the NYSS Times Square at 6 ½ furlongs on the main track, carded as Race 7.

Owned and bred in New York by Sunrise Stables, A True Giant will try to make good work of short rest as he aims to duplicate his 3 ¾-length, gate-to-wire win on April 11 at the Big A. At 6-5 on the morning line, the Rudy Rodriguez-trained Frost Giant colt will be ridden by Ortiz from post 5.

My Purple Haze Stable's Retonova earned a field-high 80 Beyer Speed Figure for his four-length debut win on March 17 for trainer Chris Englehart. By Boys At Tosconova, Retonova (2-1) will leave from the outside post 7 with Trevor McCarthy aboard.

Also entered in the Times Square are Giant Boo Boo, Belleville Spring, Santo Antonio, Spectacular Kid, and NYSS Great White Way winner Aqua Bel Sar.