Aqueduct notes: Caixa Eletronica successful in return

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

Caixa Eletronica, with Javier Castellano riding, wins the Uncle Mo at Aqueduct. The race served as a prep for Caixa Eletronica's bid to repeat in the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic on April 20.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Caixa Eletronica made a successful 8-year-old debut, recording a front-running, 2 3/4-length victory in Thursday’s $75,000 Uncle Mo Stakes at Aqueduct. Broad Rule, who challenged Caixa Eletronica on the lead, finished second.

The win was the 20th for Caixa Eletronica in his 61st career start. It was his first start since he won the Grade 3 Fall Highweight last Thanksgiving Day.

His connections, owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher, were using this as a prep for the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic on April 20. Caixa Eletronica won the Charles Town Classic last year.

With Javier Castellano up from south Florida, Caixa Eletronica took a few strides to get going. Once in gear, he dueled inside of Broad Rule through a quarter-mile in 23.64 seconds and a half-mile in 46.93. In upper stretch, Castellano shook the reins at Caixa Eletronica and he pulled away from Broad Rule.

Caixa Eletronica, a son of Arromanches, covered six furlongs in 1:10.59 and returned $2.30.

“I had to use him a little bit the first part of the race just to get position, then after that he did everything the right way,” Castellano said. “I’m happy the way he came back off the layoff.”

Cluster of Stars remains unbeaten

In the next race, Castellano guided Cluster of Stars to a front-running 9 1/4-length victory in a second-level allowance race. It was her fourth victory in as many starts. Her final time of 1:10.04 for six furlongs was .55 second faster than that of Caixa Eletronica.

Cluster of Stars, a 4-year-old New York-bred daughter of Greeley’s Legacy, was dropping into an allowance race after upsetting Nicole H in the Correction Stakes last out.

“Unbelievable,” Castellano said of Thursday’s performance. “She was really good. We’ll have a lot of fun with her.”

Castellano said he feared the presence of other speed types in the race might compromise his filly’s chances.

“I thought they were going to give me a hard time and maybe it cost me the race,” Castellano said. “But, no. As soon as she broke out of the gate she was two in front of the field. I ended up putting her on the lead and she did it so relaxed and comfortable. I loved it.”