Maddie May boats talented field Saturday
Rudy Rodriguez, Zayat Stables sends out tough trio in Cicada on Sunday
OZONE PARK, N.Y. » Sophomore fillies will take center stage in a pair of stakes this weekend at Aqueduct Racetrack, the $100,000 Maddie May for New Yorkbreds at a mile on Saturday, followed on Sunday by the $100,000 Cicada at six furlongs.
Trainer Linda Rice will saddle a formidable duo in the Maddie May, carded as Race 4 on Saturday, in Tic Stable’s Split Time and Joseph Hinkhouse’s Breezy Gal. Split Time, by Take Charge Indy, has won her last two starts in convincing fashion, beating state-bred maidens by 6 ¼ lengths in January before posting a 5 ¼-length win in a New York-bred optional claimer on February 16 at the Big A.
Breezy Gal, a gray The Factor filly, broke her maiden at second asking last time out, wiring the field to win by 13 ¼ lengths against New York-breds on March 9.
Junior Alvarado retains the mount aboard Split Time, who will break from post 2, while Dylan Davis will ride Breezy Gal from post 5.
Chester and Mary Broman’s homebred Under Suspicion will face winners for the first time following a half-length maiden win last month for trainer Phil Serpe. The chestnut daughter of Friend Or Foe will break from the rail with Manny Franco in the irons.
Trained by Mark Hennig, Reddam Racing’s Seeking the Ante winner Cause We Are Loyal brings the most experience into the race as she prepares to make her fifth straight stakes bid. The Creative Cause filly will add blinkers for her seventh career start. Owner-trainer Lauren Linn will saddle recent allowance winner Our Super Nova to round out the field.
Nearing a career milestone with 994 victories, trainer Rudy Rodriguez has strength in numbers with a trio of runners in Sunday’s Cicada. Rodriguez will join forces with Zayat Stables on a pair of entrants, led by the homebred Lezendary. By Zensational, the Kentucky-bred Lezendary earned a careerbest 80 Beyer Speed Figure for her 5 ¼-length maiden win at the Cicada distance on January 14 at Aqueduct, her fourth lifetime start.
The Zayat- Rodriguez team will also be represented by Danyelli. The Mineshaft filly broke her maiden in November and kicked off her 3-year- old season with a third-place finish in the Ruthless on January 28 and followed up with a close runner-up finish in a March 11 optionalclaimer at Laurel Park.
Rodriguez will also saddle Pick Six Racing’s twotime stakes winner Strategic Dreams. The daughter of Archarcharch boasts four wins from five starts, including victories in the Gin Talking in December at Laurel and the Ruthless at Aqueduct.
Trevor McCarthy will ride Lezendary from post 5, while Alvarado has the mount aboard Danyelli leaving from the rail. Strategic Dreams will break from post 4 with Franco.
Rounding out the field for Cicada are Franklin Square winner Aunt Babe for trainer James Ferraro; Gypsy Janie, donning blinkers for the first time for trainer Pat Quick; Scott Lake trainee and supplemental entrant Gibby; and Shamrock Rose from the Mark Casse barn.