Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Rice, Rosenblum partner again
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The band is getting back together.
After confirming a break-up last fall, owner Sheila Rosenblum and trainer Linda Rice are reuniting, at least with a couple of horses.
On Sunday, Rice entered Holiday Disguise and Startwithsilver in Saturday’s $100,000 Broadway Stakes at Aqueduct. Both of those mares had been transferred last fall by Rosenblum to Jonathan Thomas and show workouts at Bridlewood Farm in Florida where Thomas trains. But last month, Rosenblum reached out to Rice to see if she would take these two horses as well as some others back.
“Sheila called me and said she wanted to send them back to New York,” Rice said Monday.
Rosenblum could not be reached for comment on Monday.
Rosenblum and Rice have teamed to win three of the last five runnings of the Broadway including last year with Startwithsilver. They also won it in 2017 with Hot City Girl and in 2014 with La Verdad.
La Verdad, the champion female sprinter of 2015, was the poster child for the success that Rosenblum and Rice enjoyed over six years before the two agreed to part ways last November. At that time, Rosenblum moved horses to Thomas, Jeremiah Englehart, and Gary Contessa.
Holiday Disguise, a 5-year-old daughter of Harlan’s Holiday, has won four stakes including the Grade 3 Distaff at Aqueduct last April. She has not been out since finishing sixth in the Iroquois at Belmont last Oct. 20.
Rice has only had Holiday Disguise in New York in time to breeze her twice, including on Monday when Holiday Disguise went a half-mile in 49.79 seconds. She galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.88 and six furlongs in 1:15.90.
“She hasn’t been back in New York that long,” Rice said. “I figured start her three-quarters as a prep to go forward.”
Startwithsilver won last year’s Broadway by six lengths, which capped a three-race winning streak for the daughter of Jump Start. Startwithsilver hasn’t run since finishing last of six in the Regret Stakes at Monmouth Park last June. Rice said Startwithsilver bled in that race.
“We turned her out, gave her a couple of months off that got extended due to changes in plans,” Rice said. “I haven’t had her that long. They’re calling for rain; she loves the mud.”
Startwithsilver won last year’s Broadway over a sloppy track.
A field of eight was entered for the Broadway. From the rail out, the field is: Palladian Bridge, Pauseforthecause, Holiday Disguise, I Still Miss You, Absatootly, Filibustin, Startwithsilver, and Queeb.
Split Time OK after mishap
Split Time seemed to be okay Monday morning after hitting her head on the starting gate before it opened, which prompted her to be scratched from Sunday’s $100,000 Biogio’s Rose Stakes at Aqueduct.
Rice said jockey Junior Alvarado, aboard Split Time, told her Frostie Anne, the filly drawn inside of Split Time, acted up and Split Time “basically thought it was the break and she hit her face on the front and flipped over because of it.”
Rice said Split Time needed six stitches on the top of her head and suffered other superficial cuts.
“I think she’ll heal up quickly and we’ll figure out how our campaign goes from there,” Rice said.
Frostie Anne went on to win the Biogio’s Rose by six lengths. The Rice-trained Midnight Disguise finished second in her first start since winning the Bouwerie Stakes last May.
Rice called it “a useful return” and said Midnight Disguise could be considered for the Heavenly Prize here on March 10, the Distaff on April 5, or the Top Flight Invitational on April 13.
Frostie Anne, who won the Biogio’s Rose despite acting up the two times she had to be loaded into the gate, earned a career-best 88 Beyer Speed Figure. She has now won 14 of 36 starts and earned $528,063.
Mind Control right on track
Still smarting over Joevia’s narrow defeat to Haikal in Saturday’s $150,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes, trainer Gregg Sacco turned his attention to next month’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes where he is planning to run the Grade 1 winner Mind Control.
On Monday, Mind Control worked a half-mile in 49.36 seconds over the Belmont Park training track. He went his first quarter in 24.87 seconds and his second quarter in 24.49 under exercise rider Hector Hernandez.
It was his fourth work since he won the Jerome on New Year’s Day.
“It was another maintenance work,” Sacco said. “Now, we’ll start tightening the screws leading into the Gotham. He’ll go his next two works in company. Everything’s been picture perfect.”
Sacco said he was proud of the way Joevia ran, getting beat a neck by Haikal in his first start off a near seven-month layoff and just second career outing.
“He ran giant, too good to lose,” Sacco said.
Sacco said he would like to point Joevia to the Grade 3, $250,000 Bay Shore going seven furlongs at Aqueduct on April 6, with a possible start in between. He said he planned to meet with the horse’s owners this week to determine a plan.
Haikal, who earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure, will be pointed to the Gotham.
Joe Lee, the assistant to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, said Monday that Haikal “looks good, is eating good, feeling good.”