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Race 7
Approx. Post Time: 02 38 PM (Dec 15)
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by Heather Pettinger
Clearview Stable's New York-bred Wonder Gal seized an early lead in the $100,000 Ladies Handicap and never looked back, going on to win her first race against open company - and her first stakes since October of 2015 -by an authoritative, 13 ½ lengths in front-running fashion on Friday at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Leah Gyarmati and ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, Wonder Gal broke from the inside post and quickly established a comfortable lead in the field of five, running the opening quarter-mile in 23.70 seconds and the half in 47.73. The 5-year-old Tiz Wonderful mare maintained a clear advantage as the field reached the top of the stretch and opened up late in the stretch to finish a mile and 70 yards in 1:42.45 to win the 146th running of the Ladies Handicap, which was rescheduled following last weekend's weather-related cancellations.
"I wanted to get to the front. I had the one-hole, and the best thing is to see if you can get position and see if everyone is scattering behind you," said Carmouche. "Once I got to the half-mile and I heard the guys scramble back there, I just opened up. I said it was going to be a 'do-or-die' situation. It worked out today. I just want to say congratulations to Leah Gyarmati and her team."
Wonder Gal, making her first start for her new owner following a private purchase after her third-place finish in the Grade 3 Go For Wand Handicap in December, returned $5 for a $2 win wager. The winner improves her record to 4-2-6 from 16 starts with lifetime earnings of $887,145.
"Her performance today was spectacular," said Gyarmati. "She seemed like she did it so easily. She ran that big race up at Saratoga [September 2] and she was training so well heading into that race. It kind of set her back a little bit but going into this race she started having those same works as she did back then. I'm just so thankful for this performance."
Chorus Line checked in second. Jet Majesty was third, followed by Highway Star and Always On My Mind to complete the order of finish.
Mary Eddy
NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and SunsetRidge Racing Stable’s Stone Smuggler made all the right moves to notch her second career stakes victory in Saturday’s $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible state-sired juvenile fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Christian Abdo
Lady Sheila Stable, Net Birdie and Schwing Thoroughbreds’ Sacrosanct became 4-for-4 with three consecutive stakes wins when holding off National Identity by a head in Saturday’s $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible state-sired juveniles, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Christian Abdo
Ken Wheeler, Jr.'s New York-bred Kant Hurry Love returned from a nearly six-month layoff to best open company and notch her third career stakes win in Sunday’s $135,000 Garland of Roses, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Brian Bohl
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm’s Locked rewarded his post-time favoritism, overtaking fellow Grade 1-winner Mullikin with a stretch-drive move from the far outside and powering to a 1 1/2-length win in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile presented by TwinSpires at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Keith McCalmont
Shadwell Stable’s Muhimma made her stakes debut a winning one with a gate-to-wire score in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle, a nine-furlong route for juvenile fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Brian Bohl
The 111th running of Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen saw a convergence of a jockey in his prime and his horse at the outset of what could be a potential stellar career, with Flavien Prat registering his 80th stakes win of 2024 to set the single-season stakes record in guiding Poster to a victory by a nose in the 1 1/8-mile contest for 2-year-olds at Aqueduct Racetrack.
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