Absatootly, Quezon face off in La Verdad Friday; Frost Wise tops Thursday’s Bay Ridge
OZONE PARK, N.Y. » Grade 3-placed Doyouknowsomething will make his second stakes start off the claim in a field of six lined up for the $100,000 Jazil for 4-yearolds and up at 1 1/8 miles, carded as Race 3 on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.
After being picked up for an $80,000 tag in November, Doyouknowsomething made his debut for the Robertino Diodoro barn in the Queens County on December 23, finishing a close fourth behind longshot winner Zanotti. Prior to the claim, the 6-yearold Awesome Again gelding posted a front-running 6 ½-length victory against optional-claiming company on October 9 at Belmont, where he earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.
Last spring, Doyouknowsomething hit the board in three straight stakes attempts, including a thirdplace finish behind Send It In in the Grade 3 Excelsior at the Big A and a runnerup effort to Tu Brutus in the Flat Out at Belmont Park.
Jockey Angel Arroyo, who was aboard for the Queens County, has the return call. The pair will break from the rail.
Owner-trainer David Jacobson will send out Harlan Punch, who has finished in the money in his last eight races. Three of those races produced wins going a mile, including a head victory last time out on December 23. Stretching out to 1 1/8 miles, the 5-year- old gelding by Harlan’s Holiday will be ridden by Dylan Davis from post 5.
Veteran distance runner Turco Bravo will look to rebound from his fourthplace finish in the Claiming Crown Jewel for trainer David Cannizzo. The 9-yearold Chilean- bred gelding was claimed for $32,000 in September and finished second in the 1 5/8-mile Temperence Hill at Belmont and seventh in a one-mile optional claimer this fall before shipping to Gulfstream Park for the Claiming Crown.
Joe Rocco, Jr. will ride Turco Bravo from the outside post 6.
Backsideofthemoon will return to stakes company after finishing third in an optional- claimer behind Vulcan’s Forge and Classy Class on December 30 for conditioner Leo O’Brien. Reuniting in the Jazil are two of the top three finish- ers of a 1 ¼-mile allowance race on December 15 at Aqueduct in Clowney, the 1 ¾-length victor for trainer Patricia Farro, and thirdplace runner Unbridled Daddy for Gregory Sacco.
On Thursday, George and Stephanie Autry’s Frost Wise will look to build on a career- best 88 Beyer, posted in a 16 ¼-length, wire-to-wire win in a mile allowance race at Aqueduct Racetrack on November 30, as the filly headlines a field of five in the $100,000 Bay Ridge, going off as Race 3.
Originally slated for December 29, the 1 -mile route race for older New York-bred fillies and mares has been rescheduled twice because of a cancellation of live racing.
Trained by Michael Dilger, the daughter of Frost Giant broke her maiden in her sixth career start this summer at Saratoga Race Course at 6 ½ furlongs. She followed up with a fifthplace effort in a six-furlong allowance race at Belmont Park in October before stretching out to a mile at Aqueduct on November 8, where she finished third.
Frost Wise will break from post 2 with Kendrick Carmouche in the saddle.
Drawing the rail is Fortune Farm’s Might Be. The 4-year- old Posse filly is making her second stakes appearance, after finishing second in the Empire Distaff on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park. Trained by Chris Englehart, Might Be will be ridden by jockey Dylan Davis.
Owned and trained by Charlie Baker, Riot Worthy will look to stretch out to 1 miles for only the second time in her 25th career start. The Patriot Act mare will break from post 4 with Manny Franco in the irons.
Rounding out the field are two more daughters of Frost Giant trained by Rudy Rodriguez: Gabrielle Farm’s Frosty Margarita and Michael Imperio’s Frostie Anne.
Friday’s feature, the first running of the $100,000 La Verdad at seven furlongs, will see Newman Racing’s Absatootly and Mac Keller’s Quezon square off for a fifth consecutive race as part of a field of seven older New York-bred fillies and mares.
A well-rested Absatootly will look to build on a thirdplace finish in the Garland of Roses on December 9 at Aqueduct, which Quezon won by three- quarters of a length. That marked the fifth time in seven stakes starts that Absatootly finished on the board last year, including a half-length score over Quezon in the Iroquois on October 21 at Belmont Park.
Trained by Charlie Baker, Absatootly finished 2017 with Beyers of 80 or better in her last four starts. Jockey Rafael Hernandez will have the call for the first time from post 3.
Quezon rallied from last in the Garland of Roses to register her only stakes win of 2017 in five attempts, including a third-place effort in the Grade 3 Vagrancy on May 5 at Belmont. The 6-year- old Tiz Wonderful mare earned a personalbest 97 Beyer for running second in the Iroquois, which came one start after running third in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom on September 24.
The Bobby Ribaudo trainee drew post 2 with Joe Rocco, Jr. aboard.
Also on tap for the La Verdad, carded as Race 8, are Bee Noteworthy, Wonderment, Holiday Disguise, Palladian Bridge, and She’s All Ready.
- Courtesy NYRA