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​Too Sexy looks to notch second consecutive stakes win in Autumn Days

by Brian Bohl

The Elkstone Group’s stakes-winning Too Sexy will be looking for a waltz into the winner’s circle instead of a turn on the catwalk when she competes as part of an eight-horse field of fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Sunday’s $150,000 Autumn Days at six furlongs on Aqueduct Racetrack’s outer turf course.

The fifth running of the Autumn Days is one of three stakes on Sunday’s card, along with the Grade 3, $200,000 Fall Highweight for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the main track and the $100,000 Tepin for 2-year-old fillies competing at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. 

Too Sexy waited 12 starts before making her stakes debut but capitalized on the opportunity, posting a 3 1/4-length score in the Floral Park over returning rival Raven’s Cry in the six-furlong turf test on October 17 at Belmont Park.

Too Sexy has produced a consistent record for trainer Christophe Clement, notching a 4-4-1 ledger. With two straight victories and wins in three of her last four starts, the 4-year-old Quality Road filly has trained forwardly off her stakes win, breezing four furlongs in 50.05 seconds on November 18 over Belmont’s Big Sandy. 

“She worked nicely Thursday morning. She has never stopped improving this year,” Clement said. “She’s a great filly. She likes soft ground. I was a little disappointed last year. I probably ran her too far, but since we sprinted her on the grass, she’s done very well.”

Jose Lezcano will have the return call from post 3.

Perry Harrison’s Change of Control, a 5-year-old multiple graded-stakes winning daughter of Fed Biz, enters from a rallying 1 1/2-length score in the Grade 3 Buffalo Trace Franklin County contested over soft going on October 15 at Keeneland.

Trained by Michelle Lovell, Change of Control has enjoyed a solid campaign with a ledger of 9-3-2-3 including a score in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Intercontinental over good going in June at Belmont. 

Colby Hernandez retains the mount from post 1.

Martin Schwartz’s Raven’s Cry has earned black type in three starts in her 4-year-old year for reigning Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Brad Cox and has gone 2-2-0 in six starts since arriving from Europe for the 2021 campaign. 

The Irish-bred daughter of Raven’s Pass won the Miss Houston Turf in April at Sam Houston Park and will be making her sixth consecutive stakes appearance overall, breaking from post 8 with Luis Saez aboard. 

Fellow Irish-bred Love And Thunder made her stakes bow last out, running fifth in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel on October 23 at Belmont. Transferred to the care of trainer Chad Brown after arriving from Europe for her 4-year-old year, the daughter of Siyouni started her North American career with four consecutive runner-up efforts before breaking through against allowance company on October 1 at Belmont before Brown ran her against steeper company next out.

 Love And Thunder, whose first U.S. start was at the Big A in April, will return to Ozone Park and will have jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.’s services from post 2.

Jay Oringer, Jack Bick, Al Bianchi Racing, Adam Bayroff and Mike Maturo’s Piedi Bianchi returns to turf after besting her fellow Indiana-breds last out in the 1 1/16-mile Cardinal which was contested over a sloppy surface on October 6 at Indiana Grand.

Trained by Carlos Martin, the 6-year-old Overanalyze mare sprinted to a 2 ¼-length victory in the Smart N Fancy in August over a yielding turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has the call from post 4.

Rounding out the field are Miss Majorette [post 5, Trevor McCarthy], Althwaaq [post 6, Luis Rodriguez Castro], and Secure Connection [post 7, Dylan Davis].

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

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