Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Rice pair get what they need
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After winning five stakes over six weeks at this meet, trainer Linda Rice had to settle for secondplace finishes in two stakes at Aqueduct last weekend.
But the efforts put in by Do Share and Holiday Disguise could have them well prepared for their next stakes engagements.
Do Share, who rallied from last to get second in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap, will make his next start in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap on April 7.
Holiday Disguise, second behind a loose-on-the-lead Divine Miss Grey in the $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational, will make her next start in the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap on April 6.
In the Tom Fool, Do Share was making his first start since winning the Gravesend on Dec. 23. He missed two scheduled starts due to two different quarantine situations at Belmont Park.
“He made a nice run,” Rice said. “As he’s gotten older he seems to want to drop out of it and make a closing kick. I thought it was a great effort on his part. Seven furlongs could be very good for him.”
Holiday Disguise had to chase the speedy Divine Miss Grey all the way around the Aqueduct main track. While she was runner-up by 6 3/4 lengths in the Heavenly Prize, she did finish 9 3/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field.
Rice said that in the Distaff, she hopes there’ll “be more speed and more pace” to aid Holiday Disguise’s cause.
Prior to that loss, Holiday Disguise had won four consecutive starts, including the Bouwerie last May and the Biogio’s Rose last month.
Meanwhile, Rice said that Midnight Disguise, the younger half-sister to Holiday Disguise, remains on target for the Grade 3, $300,000 Gazelle on April 7.
Midnight Disguise won both the Busher and Busanda stakes at this meet, and has earned enough points to qualify for the Kentucky Oaks on May 5.
“She’s done well,” since her last race, Rice said. “I’ve been pleased with her so far.”
Highway Star had issues
Trainer Rodrigo Ubillo said he doesn’t like to make excuses for Highway Star when she runs poorly, but the New York-bred mare certainly had reasons for her last-place finish in the Heavenly Prize Invitational last Saturday at Aqueduct.
Ubillo said Highway Star came out of the race sore in her back. Also, she scoped with mucus in her lungs. Lastly, Highway Star’s protein level was low, according to Ubillo.
“She never showed any signs of being sick,” Ubillo said. “We check temperatures every day; we never heard her cough.”
As of Thursday, Ubillo said Highway Star had yet to go back to the track. He said it was too soon to say if Highway Star would miss the Grade 3 Distaff on April 6.
“Hopefully, it’s nothing major and we’ll move forward,” he said. “We’ll see when she goes back to the track.”
◗ Harlan Punch, who won twice in six days including a seven-length victory in the Stymie Stakes, will most likely make his next start in the $90,000 Mr. Sinatra Stakes on the March 31 Claiming Championships, trainer David Jacobson said. Jacobson had given consideration to wheeling Harlan Punch back in Saturday’s Harrison E. Johnson Stakes at Laurel, but decided against it.