Majestic Affair cruises to victory in Capossela Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jockey Kendrick Carmouche is moving his tack from Parx to Aqueduct this winter. He can only hope to get mounts as good as Majestic Affair on a daily basis.

On Friday’s Aqueduct card, Carmouche guided Majestic Affair to an easy 5 3/4-length victory over the pace-setting Joe Franklin in the $100,000 Fred “Cappy” Capossela Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters.

It was the third win in five starts for Majestic Affair, who had won an allowance race at Parx in October and a maiden race at Canterbury in July. He was coming off a second-place finish to next-out stakes winner Cinco Charlie in the James F. Lewis Stakes at Laurel on Nov. 15.

Carmouche was aboard Majestic Affair for his previous two races and knew the gelding had enough speed to keep in contact with Joe Franklin, who ran the opening quarter-mile in 23.04 seconds and a half-mile in 46.81.

Carmouche had Majestic Affair within a half-length of Joe Franklin at the quarter pole, got the lead just outside the eighth pole, and easily cruised to the win.

Majestic Affair, owned by James Covello, Thomas Coleman, and Doheny Racing Stable and trained by Chad Brown, covered six furlongs in 1:11.78 and returned $3.20 as the favorite.

“Last time, he broke a step slow, and I think that race was a lot quicker than this race today,” Carmouche said. “With that being said, he broke very good today, and I let him be pretty forward in his position where I wouldn’t have to make up too much ground to win the race.”

Carmouche, 30, has been the leading rider at Parx four of the last six years. In 2014, he finished third in the standings with 91 winners from just 377 mounts.

“I want to be here,” Carmouche said in the Aqueduct paddock. “I really think I waited long enough to get here and have enough patience to ride up here.”

Carmouche was named to ride Nasa in Saturday’s Grade 3 Jerome. He is named to ride one horse, Big Guy Ian, next Wednesday.