Aqueduct: Singlet reaffirms affinity for Big A in Garland of Roses

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

Singlet, ridden by Mike Luzzi, wins her third stakes of the season at Aqueduct in the Garland of Roses.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Singlet ended her 3-year-old season the way she started it - with a sprint stakes victory at Aqueduct.

Receiving a stalking trip from Mike Luzzi, Singlet took over from Curlina at the five-sixteenths pole, opened up a clear advantage in upper stretch, and had more than enough to hold off the late-running Kid Kate to win the $75,000 Garland of Roses by 1 1/4 lengths.

 Kid Kate, in the final start of her career, finished second by 1 1/4 lengths over Delightful Quality. It was 9 1/2 lengths back to Curlina, who was followed in the order of finish by the entry of Jelly Cable and Moonlit Malibu. Morrow Cove and Withgreatpleasure scratched.

 The win was the fifth from 10 career starts for Singlet, a 3-year-old daughter of Real Quiet owned by Michael Dubb, Larry Brafman, and Daniel Ryan and trained by Tony Dutrow.

 It was the third stakes victory for Singlet, all coming at Aqueduct. She began the year with victories in the Xtra Heat and Dearly Precious over Aqueduct’s inner track.

 “She likes it up there.  She likes Aqueduct,” Dutrow said by phone from Laurel just before winning the seventh race with Whiskey Romeo.

 Singlet raced three-wide as Curlina set the pace, chased by Moonlit Malibu. Luzzi said he knew he had plenty of horse coming to the top of the stretch.

 “Turning for home I was loaded,” Luzzi said. “Just ask her, that’s all.”

 Singlet covered six furlongs in 1:10.75 and returned $5.80 as the second choice.

 Dutrow put blinkers on Singlet for her last start, which resulted in a second-place finish in the Miss Woodford Stakes at Monmouth on Sept. 1.

 “I wasn’t making great sense of her previous race because I thought the blinkers would do what we saw today,” Dutrow said. “I don’t know what to make of her last race. It was good to see her put it all together today.”

 Dutrow said that Singlet would remain in New York and point for the series of sprint stakes run over the inner track, beginning with the Interborough, the traditional New Year’s Day feature.

 Kid Kate, a stakes winner from age 2 through 5, ends her career with a record of 8-5-4 from 25 starts and earnings of $477,229.