Atras has one for Gravesend, two for the Queens County

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The first stakes of Aqueduct’s winter meet didn’t go as trainer Rob Atras had hoped, with Sadie Lady finishing fourth in last Saturday’s $100,000 Garland of Roses.

Atras will hope for better results this weekend when he runs Chateau in Sunday’s $100,000 Gravesend Stakes and the pair of Olliemyboy and You’re to Blame in the $125,000 Queens County, also on Sunday.

Chateau, winner of the Grade 3 Tom Fool here in March, is coming off a thirdplace finish behind Hopeful Treasure and Green Light Go in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight here on Nov. 29. As he typically does, Chateau showed good early speed, but he gave way in the final furlong in what was his first start in 11 weeks.

“There was other speed in there, so I was concerned, but he got clear and I thought he ran a good race and just came up short,” Atras said.

On Sunday, over Belmont Park’s training track, Chateau worked a half-mile in 48.63 seconds in company with Horn of Plenty.

The Gravesend field is expected to include the promising Happy Medium, Cost Basis, and the multiple stakes winners Wondrwherecraigis and Jaxon Traveler.

In the Queens County, You’re to Blame and Olliemyboy will be running after finishing third and fifth in the same allowance at Churchill Downs on Nov. 21. Atras said he had to send both horses out of town because he couldn’t find a suitable spot for them in New York.

Olliemyboy began the year in the barn of Norm Casse at Fair Grounds and won two allowance races before finishing sixth in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic. After a break and a change of trainers to Atras, Olliemyboy has run twice, both losses in allowance company over wet tracks.

In his first start for Atras, Olliemyboy ran fourth at Delaware Park. Atras said a storm came as the horses were in the paddock.

“The track was washed out, he was down on the inside, lost a shoe, and a had a foot problem after that we had to address,” Atras said.

You’re to Blame was claimed for $80,000 by Michael Dubb and Karen Murphy out of an allowance victory Oct. 2 at Belmont. You’re to Blame is 1 for 24 in stakes, with the win coming in the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup at Parx Racing in 2018.

You’re to Blame was beaten only two lengths going 1 1/16 miles in that Nov. 21 Churchill race.

“I knew it was a tick short for him but I needed to run him, and our plan was to get a prep race for the Queens County for them,” Atras said.

On Sunday at Belmont, You’re to Blame and Olliemyboy worked five furlongs together in 1:03.27.

As for Sadie Lady, Atras said he deduced that she simply didn’t like the sloppy track in Saturday’s Garland of Roses and will likely throw it out. The Say Florida Sandy and Interborough here are options for her in January, but they are at seven furlongs, and she may be better suited to the $100,000 Broadway, a six-furlong race versus New York-breds on Feb. 13.

Magic Circle targets Busanda

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez has given several of his top horses a break for the winter, but he will press on with Magic Circle, the third-place finisher in the Grade 2 Demoiselle. Rodriguez said the $100,000 Busanda on Jan. 23 is on her schedule.

Magic Circle finished third behind Nest and Venti Valentine in the Demoiselle, coming out under a left-handed whip and nearly interfering with Venti Valentine.

Rodriguez said owner Jeff Singer has received a few offers to buy Magic Circle, but for now, “I’m going to keep training her and point her to the” Busanda, he said.

Rodriguez said that Bella Sofia, the Grade 1 Ballerina winner, has recently started a 60- to 90-day break on the farm. She will return to him in the first quarter of 2022. Rodriguez said the owners opted not to keep her in training for the Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

“New York has some good races for her, and we want to get back to the Breeders’ Cup,” Rodriguez said.

Bella Sofia ran fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint last month at Del Mar.

Rodriguez said that Doctor Jeff, winner of the Atlantic Beach Stakes, and Scuttlebuzz, winner of two allowance races at the Aqueduct fall meet, are getting a freshening for a 2022 campaign.

Vazquez, Friedman on top

Juan Vazquez and Mitch Friedman aren’t names typically seen atop the trainer standings at a New York Racing Association meet. But through the first week of Aqueduct’s four-month winter session, Vazquez is the leader with four wins followed by Friedman with three.

All four of Vazquez’s wins came last Friday with Cazilda Fortytales ($8), and favorites My Roxy Girl ($4.90), Repo Rocks ($7.20), and El Mayor ($7).

Unfortunately for Vazquez, his next three entrants all were scratched, leading to social-media speculation that something nefarious was going on. In reality, Vazquez’s entrants all had legitimate reasons for having to be scratched. On Saturday, jockey Ruben Silvera didn’t like the way Run White Rabbit was warming up, and conveyed his concerns to the veterinarian at the gate, who then recommended the scratch to the stewards. Vazquez’s other entrant Saturday, Shining Colors, was scratched early in the morning due to a leg infection.

Vazquez’s only entrant on Sunday’s card, El Samuro, was scratched due to a bowed tendon that Vazquez believes came as a result of training over a wet track Friday and Saturday, after entries were taken.

Meanwhile, Friedman, who had won just four races from 92 starts in 2021 prior to last week, sent out three winners from four starters in the meet’s opening week. Last Thursday, Friedman won the opener with Caragate ($4.90) and the finale with Chasing Cara ($7.90). His third winner came Sunday with Captivating Cara ($5.80). Friedman’s other starter, Caramocha, was beaten a head in her secondplace finish behind Amityville on Friday.

◗ Favorites won at a whopping 50 percent (17 for 34) during opening week of the winter meet.