Verdant Pastures prefers going long

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Thursday’s Aqueduct card was gone with the wind, but it was not totally forgotten as three of the eight races scheduled for that day were brought back as part of Sunday’s 10-race program.

That includes a first-level allowance race for New Yorkbred 3-year-old fillies going one mile that serves as the nominal feature. The same six horses entered for Thursday were entered back for Sunday, though all six have different post positions.

Verdant Pastures comes off the best race of her career, a 7 3/4-length maiden victory in her fourth start and her first race around two turns. Trainer Charlton Baker said he thought

the filly would improve with more distance following three tries sprinting, two of which were not very good.

“She trained like a good horse. She hasn’t been as good as I thought she was going to be,” Baker said. “The mare was a distance horse. I think she just wanted to go long. She doesn’t want to be rushed early.”

Verdant Pastures is out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Stormy’s Smile, who won the 2005 Maid of the Mist Stakes at Belmont at odds of 75-1. Stormy’s Smile is a sibling to stakes winners Wildcat’s Smile, Atlantic’s Smile, and Johannesburg’s Smile.

RACE 2 KEY CONTENDERS

Verdant Pastures, by Colonel John Last 3 Beyers: 68-16-26

◗ Despite running a final quarter in an uninspiring 28.68 seconds, she easily won a onemile maiden race here over No Hayne No Gayne, who came back to win a maiden special weight race in her next start.

◗ Could be the controlling speed again under Antonio Gallardo.

Cha Cha Heels, by Mission Impazible Last 3 Beyers: 51-52-59

◗ Drops into allowance company after finishing a nonthreatening fourth in the Maddie May Stakes on Jan. 29, when she was stuck behind horses until the three-sixteenths pole.

◗ Romped by nine lengths in an off-the-turf maiden race going a mile over the main track Dec. 3.

Spirit Lets Hearit, by Girolamo Last Beyer: 51

◗ Found the right field to debut against, winning a maiden $25,000 claimer by 2 1/4 lengths going 6 1/2 furlongs over the main track Dec. 4. Three horses from that race won their next starts.

FORMULATOR FACT: Over the last five years, trainer Gary Gullo is only 1 for 12 when stretching a horse out in distance off a win. The good news is that that win came over the inner track, albeit in December 2013.