Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Malibu Star’s win bodes well for Breen
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Malibu Star’s maiden victory on Thursday at Aqueduct was good for trainer Kelly Breen on multiple counts.
First, the 3-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway won the onemile race by a convincing 2 1/4 lengths and earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure in his second start off a year layoff, portending good things to come. Second, when Malibu Star finished second in his previous start, he did so to the Breen-trained Full Impact, who came back to win his first-level allowance condition Nov. 13.
Lastly, Citizen West, also trained by Breen, finished second to Malibu Star on Thursday, 11 1/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field, perhaps a sign that he won’t be a maiden too much longer.
All three of those horses are owned by Gary and Mary West.
Breen, who has about 25 horses in New York this winter, said the near two months between starts for Malibu Star was because he couldn’t find a maiden race at the proper distance for the colt.
“It took a while for a race to go,” Breen said. “We were waiting to stretch the horse out, so the race finally went and he ran a pretty good race.”
Breen said he would eventually like to get Malibu Star out around two turns, perhaps in an allowance race.
“I think we’ll take our time,” he said. “I’ll talk to the Wests and see what we want to do, but right now we’re not in a rush. Let these horses develop.”
Full Impact, who is 2 for 2, breezed a half-mile in 48.49 seconds on Friday over the Belmont Park training track. Breen said he has not picked out a spot for that son of Street Sense.
“Just taking my time,” Breen said. “We got some nice horses and right now patience is a virtue. We’re trying to get these horses up to their potential by taking our time with them. They spent some time getting them ready, so we’ll take our time getting them to the winner’s circle.”
Meanwhile, Breen said that Pickin’ Time, the Grade 3 Nashua winner who finished a well-beaten fourth in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes on Dec. 5, will be nominated to the Jerome here on New Year’s Day.
Breen said that jockey Jose Lezcano told him Pickin’ Time didn’t handle the wet track in the Remsen.
Breen said Lezcano told him, “Going into the first turn I was sitting second, but he wasn’t comfortable in the mud.”
Fire’s Finale, who won the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes for Breen at Parx Racing on Monday, is getting some time off in Ocala, Fla., Breen said.
Honor Way still going strong
Honor Way, winner of last Sunday’s Garland of Roses Stakes, will point to the $100,000 Interborough Stakes on Jan. 18, trainer Charlton Baker said.
Though Honor Way will be 7 in 2021, Baker said the mare is doing too well to stop on her right now.
“She came out of the race great, she’s doing good,” Baker said.
Baker said there was some discussion about cataloging her to the Fasig-Tipton sale on Feb. 8-9, but for now she’ll continue to race.
“There’s always a sale somewhere,” Baker said.
Meanwhile, Baker said the 2-year-old Excellent Timing, a 7 1/4-length maiden winner on Thursday’s card, will get a break.
“I think he’s still a little immature,” Baker said. “He’ll get a couple of months off. For the horse, that might be the right thing. He looks like a baby; physically he needs to grow. He’s got all the talent you want. We’ll send him to the farm and get him back in March.”
Lezcano winning in bunches
Jose Lezcano finished the Aqueduct fall meet with six consecutive multiple-win days to finish second to Kendrick Carmouche in the standings.
Thursday, he got off to a terrific start at the Aqueduct winter meet, booting home four winners from six mounts. That gave him 17 winners from 51 mounts over seven cards.
The four wins give Lezcano 129 on the NYRA circuit in 2020, second only to Jose Ortiz, who has ridden 142 winners on the circuit this year. Ortiz is done riding in New York for 2020, so Lezcano has an outside chance to pass him for top honors on the year.
Following Friday’s card there were seven programs left at Aqueduct in 2020.