Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Spring stand opens; 13 stakes on tap during 11-day run
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Absent from the calendar a year ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aqueduct’s spring meet returns Thursday with an eight-race program.
The changes from the winter to spring are more subtle since the elimination of the winterized inner track in 2017, but some are still tangible. Turf racing returns with two grass events carded for Friday and a bevy of grass races in the condition book for the remainder of the 11-day spring season that runs through April 18. Racing will be conducted Thursdays through Sundays with the exception of this Sunday, when the track will be closed for Easter.
The jockey colony gets noticeably stronger with the return of Irad Ortiz Jr. and his brother Jose, who have combined to win the last four Eclipse Awards as the nation’s outstanding rider. Irad Ortiz Jr. is coming off a record-setting Gulfstream Park championship meet, capped by his victory aboard Known Agenda in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. Also back in town is Junior Alvarado, coming off a strong Gulfstream season himself. He starts riding Friday.
Friday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap is the first of 13 stakes – totaling $2.7 million in purses – to be run at the meet. The highlight of the session is Saturday’s 11-race card that includes the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial, New York’s last stop on the Kentucky Derby trail, and the Grade 1 Carter Handicap. The Bay Shore, Gazelle, and Excelsior – all Grade 3 events – also are on tap for Saturday.
Thursday’s eight-race card is led by a stakes-caliber second-level allowance for fillies and mares at one mile.
Water White, winner of the 2020 Busher, makes her first start since finishing a wellbeaten third behind Gamine in the Grade 1 Acorn on June 20 at Belmont. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said he didn’t like how Water White was training following the Acorn and the decision was made to give her time off. Rodriguez has high expectations for Water White in 2021 and is hoping the daughter of Conveyance can get off to a good start Thursday.
“She’s coming along pretty good. I’m just hoping for a good effort from her,” said Rodriguez, who led all trainers during the winter meet with 36 wins. “We know she likes Aqueduct. I don’t know how tight I’ve got her, but she seems like she’s training forwardly. We just have to hope she brings the 3-year-old season to the 4-year-old season.”
Water White will be ridden from post 2 by Irad Ortiz.
The New York-bred Sharp Starr has won her last two starts going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct, including a victory in the Grade 3 Go for Wand last Dec. 5. Since then, she finished second in the La Verdad and sixth of eight in the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie on Feb. 20 at Laurel Park.
The Fritchie was delayed by one week, and Sharp Starr basically stayed in the barn for four days due to track conditions impacted by weather, trainer Horacio DePaz said. DePaz didn’t think the filly liked being on the inside in the race, noting that jockey Alex Cintron told him Sharp Starr would try to keep backing out of it when he wasn’t asking her to keep her position.
“She didn’t put out much of an effort,” DePaz said. “Usually if she puts in a hard effort she leaves some feed for a day or two. When we got her back to Belmont, she ate right up.”
Sharp Starr, who has to carry 127 pounds on Thursday, breaks from post 3 under Trevor McCarthy.
Trainer Shug McGaughey has sent up a few horses from South Florida, including Alandra, who looks to start over after being eased in the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks on July 8.
Alandra won her career debut at 2 at Saratoga and was a first-level allowance winner at Belmont last June.
Jose Ortiz rides Alandra from post 4. Invaluable and Maiden Beauty have both won their last two starts. Invaluable was a front-running winner of a first-level allowance in the mud on Feb. 24, her fourth win from her last seven starts. She figures to be part of the early pace under Manny Franco.
Maiden Beauty was a front-running winner of this condition March 5 and is now being offered for the $62,500 claiming price. Gone Glimmering has won this condition three times, albeit against lesser competition, and is once again being offered for the claiming tag.