Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Solid Wager set for N.Y. debut
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Less than three weeks after beginning his 8-year-old season in Southern California, Solid Wager was one of five sprinters entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct.
Solid Wager, a Californiabred gelding by Birdonthewire, made his first 48 starts for trainer Peter Miller. Perhaps sensing that the Southern California circuit might now be too difficult for him, part-owner Gary Barber shipped Solid Wager east to trainer Chris Englehart. This is the first horse Englehart has had for Barber, who owns Solid Wager in partnership with Stanford Stable.
“They wanted to take advantage of the winter racing and the purses,” said Englehart, who hasn’t had the horse in his barn very long.
Solid Wager is a four-time stakes winner, including victories in three runnings of the Cary Grant Stakes for California-breds at Del Mar. His biggest victory came in the Grade 3 Midnight Lute Stakes at Santa Anita, a race in which he dead-heated for win with St. Joe Bay on Dec. 31, 2016.
One tangible working in Solid Wager’s favor is he is 5 for 10 at the Toboggan distance of seven furlongs.
Jose Lezcano will ride Solid Wager.
Skyler’s Scramjet is the likely Toboggan favorite, coming off his head loss to Recruiting Ready in the Gravesend Stakes going six furlongs on Dec. 23, his first start off a six-month layoff. Bal Harbour, third in the Queens County Stakes going 1 1/8 miles last out, is cutting back to seven furlongs for trainer Todd Pletcher.
The racing office needed some help getting the Toboggan to fill. Gold for the King, who finished third as the favorite in last Saturday’s $100,000 Say Florida Sandy Stakes for New York-breds, was entered, and Colonel Sharp, winner of the Dave’s Friend Stakes at Laurel on Dec. 29, was supplemented to the race.
Withers hopefuls put in works
Mind Control, the Grade 1 Hopeful and ungraded Jerome stakes winner, returned to the work tab Tuesday, breezing a half-mile in 48.77 seconds over Belmont Park’s training track. He is working toward an expected start in the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 2.
“He’s thriving right now – very happy,” trainer Gregg Sacco said. “It was almost like a gallop for him.”
John Velazquez is committed to ride Mind Control in the Withers, according to his agent, Angel Cordero Jr. Velazquez is 2 for 2 aboard Mind Control. Manny Franco will ride Moretti, a Todd Pletcher trainee whom Velazquez won a maiden race on.
Tax, the Remsen third-place finisher, and Le General, winner of two straight New York-bred races, both put in workouts Wednesday for the Withers.
At Belmont, Tax worked a half-mile in 49.23 seconds over the training track. Trainer Danny Gargan, who was not on hand for the breeze, said Rolando Quevedo, his assistant who breezed Tax, told him, “This is the best work [Tax] has ever had. He’s getting better and better and stronger.”
At Aqueduct, Le General worked five furlongs in 1:04.08 over a deep main track. Le General went his first quarter in a quick 24.05 seconds, but came home in a pokey 40.03 seconds without much of a gallop-out. Le General had recorded two bullet works prior to Wednesday.
Yorkiepoo Princess feeling good
Yorkiepoo Princess blew out three furlongs in 38.86 seconds Wednesday morning at Aqueduct in preparation for Monday’s $100,000 Interborough Stakes.
Yorkiepoo Princess went an opening eighth in 13.71 seconds and came home in 25.15 over a deep main track. She galloped out a half-mile in 52.13 seconds.
Trainer Eddie Barker said he wasn’t looking to do a whole lot with the filly, who six days ago worked five furlongs in 1:02.40, which was the fastest of 16 works that day.
“She’s so good right now,” Barker said.
Yorkiepoo Princess raced four times in 45 days from Oct. 25 through Dec. 8, including a victory in the Autumn Days Stakes, which had been scheduled for the turf but was run on dirt. Most recently, Yorkiepoo Princess finished second to Vertical Oak in the Garland of Roses Stakes here on Dec. 8.
Others expected for the Interborough include Dawn the Destroyer, Honor Way, Silent Sonet, Sower, and Your Love.