Abounding Joy should move forward in Heavenly Prize Invitational

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – She hadn’t run in eight months and was beaten by an in-form stakes winner in Saguaro Row. All things considered, Abounding Joy’s second-place finish in the Interborough Stakes here Jan. 20 was a credible performance.

Her connections hope Abounding Joy can build off that performance when she faces five rivals in Sunday’s $125,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational at Aqueduct.

The Heavenly Prize is carded as race 3 on a nine-race card and thus is not part of the Empire 6 on a day when the entire pool must be distributed.

Abounding Joy, a 5-year-old daughter of Quality Road, began her career in the barn of Rodolphe Brisset. She won three of her first five starts before getting beat 20 1/4 lengths in the Jack Bishop Stakes at Prairie Meadows last May.

In subsequent training, Abounding Joy suffered a setback and was taken out of training.

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Transferred to Bill Mott, Abounding Joy came off the layoff in the Interborough, chasing two horses while racing three wide. She was able to collar those two, but Abounding Joy could not match strides with Saguaro Row, who drew off to win by 2 3/4 lengths. Abounding Joy was 6 3/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field.

“I thought it was a very good race, considering she was probably 90 percent ready,” Mott said. “We would have preferred to have had a couple of more works. I don’t think we were backing up that day. She finished up evenly and she should get stronger having had that race.”

Abounding Joy, who won a second-level allowance going 6 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct in April 2019, has the tactical speed to be on or close to the pace. Junior Alvarado rides from post 4.

Newly Minted looks like the one to catch and beat – if she runs.

Trainer Linda Rice said Newly Minted has been battling a foot abscess. On Friday, Rice said “it’s more yes than no” that Newly Minted will run, but she won’t make a final decision until Sunday.

Newly Minted won an open first-level allowance race by 7 1/4 lengths on the lead Dec. 22. She came back in the Feb. 9 Biogio’s Rose Stakes and set the pace, but was run down by More Mischief.

Crimson Frost is back in the starting gate for the first time since Nov. 2. That day, she clipped heels leaving the gate with Bellera, and both horses lost their jockeys. Bellera has since come back to win the Grade 3 Comely and the Ladies Handicap.

Crimson Frost was given time off “to make sure she got over that the right way,” trainer Michelle Nevin said. “Since she’s been back to the track, she’s been working right along and things seem to be good with her.”

Crimson Frost, has recorded three of her five career victories in one-turn mile races at Aqueduct. She also finished third behind Midnight Bisou and Wow Cat in the Grade 2 Beldame on Sept. 28.

Crimson Frost, the 122-pound highweight, breaks from the rail under Manny Franco.

Espresso Shot, last year’s Busher Stakes winner; No Hayne No Gayne, third in the Biogio’s Rose; and the seemingly overmatched Happy Crest complete the field.