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​D’ont Lose Cruz seeks stakes success in $100K Notebook

by Keith McCalmont

D’ont Lose Cruz steps into stakes company for the first time in Friday’s $100,000 Notebook, a six-furlong sprint over the main track for New York-bred juveniles, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained and co-owned by Rick Schosberg with Clear Stars Stable, Mitre Box Stable, Big Toe Stables and Koshanostra Stables, the Always Dreaming gelding enters from a gate-to-wire graduation at second asking on October 27 sprinting six furlongs over a fast Big A main track. That effort came on the heels of a narrow head defeat here after setting the pace on September 29 

Schosberg said the talented dark bay, who garnered a field-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure last out, has room to improve.

“We haven’t gotten close to the bottom of him yet,” Schosberg said. “He’s got the talent, but he’s got to calm down. He’s like a 13-year-old kid that can dunk. You’ve got to rein him in a bit and let him focus on his job because in one of these races, he’ll have to deal with more adversity. But that comes with experience. I think he’s got the class, but right now he’s just happy being a fast horse.”

The $100,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase is out of the multiple stakes-winning D’Wildcat mare D’Wild Ride. The speedy fellow was training towards a summer debut at Saratoga Race Course before Schosberg altered course.

“We always liked him,” Schosberg said. “He had a bit of an issue when we first got him to Saratoga. He had a bit of a shin at the sale and then it came back around at Saratoga, so we went ahead stopped on him then. We paid $100,000 for him so we knew he had some talent. We were hoping he would be this good, but you never know.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr., who is two stakes wins shy of tying a record 76 stakes wins in a single North American season, retains the mount from post 4.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s multiple stakes-winner Acoustic Ave [post 3, Manny Franco] will look to run his win streak to three for trainer Christophe Clement.

The Maclean’s Music chestnut, purchased for $200,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, arrives from a pair of state-bred stakes scores at Finger Lakes where he captured the 5 1/2-furlong Aspirant by 9 1/4-lengths in September and the six-furlong New York Breeders’ Futurity by a nose on October 17.

Trained by Christophe Clement, Acoustic Ave proved to be a game winner last out, dueling with graded-stakes placed Andiamo a Firenze throughout before prevailing in a thrilling photo finish.

He made his first two starts at the Spa, graduating in style on debut in July over a fast main track. He followed with a distant third on August 26 in the 6 1/2-furlong Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital which was won by Andiamo a Firenze by 5 1/2-lengths over Donegal Surges in a race contested on a muddy and sealed main track.

Chester and Mary Broman’s homebred Starquist [post 1, Eric Cancel] enters from a prominent third in the state-bred Sleepy Hollow, a one-turn mile contested over a fast Big A main track on October 30.

Trained by John Kimmel, the Nyquist bay rallied to post a one-length win in his October 9 debut sprinting six furlongs against fellow state-breds here. He is out of the stakes-winning Sky Mesa mare Star Grazing, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winning stallion Friend Or Foe – the sire of the Kimmel-trained / Broman-bred millionaire Mr. Buff.

Rounding out the field are maiden winners Flashy Alex [post 6, Javier Castellano] for trainer Randi Persaud and Mshindi [post 2, Jackie Davis], who adds blinkers for trainer Natalia Lynch; along with maiden General Banker [post 5, Jose Lezcano] for conditioner James Ferraro. 

The Notebook is slated as Race 4 on Friday’s nine-race card which also features the Grade 3, $300,000 Long Island in Race 6, the Grade 3, $175,000 Comely in Race 7 and the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship in Race 8. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.  

America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

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