Acoustic Ave, Looms Boldly square off in Ontario County Stakes
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Acoustic Ave, who made two profitable trips across New York for stakes wins at Finger Lakes last season, comes back to make his 3-year-old debut in Monday’s $50,000 Ontario County Stakes for statebred sophomores.
Acoustic Ave, who is based on the New York Racing Association circuit for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and trainer Christophe Clement, was an impressive debut winner last summer at Saratoga against his fellow New York-breds, the group against which he has made all of his starts. He then finished third in the Funny Cide Stakes, his only career loss, behind graded stakes-placed Andiamo a Firenze.
Acoustic Ave then shipped to Finger Lakes to win the Aspirant Stakes by 9 1/4 lengths on Sept. 26. That race serves as the local prep for the track’s richest race and one of its most historic, the New York Breeders’ Futurity. Acoustic Ave won the $158,579-added event by a nose over Andiamo a Firenze on Oct. 17. He concluded his 2-year-old season with a win in the Notebook Stakes in November at Aqueduct.
Regular rider Manny Franco makes the trip to retain the mount as Acoustic Ave faces a field of seven challengers. The group includes another NYRA-based statebred stakes winner in Looms Boldly for Brad Cox – a colt who is slightly favored, at 2-1, on the morning line over the 5-2 Acoustic Ave.
Looms Boldly won the Damon Runyon Stakes in March at Aqueduct, then won an open-company allowance/optional-claiming race at Aqueduct. He then stretched out to seven furlongs for the Mike Lee Stakes at Belmont, in which he finished third after setting the pace. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 81 for the Mike Lee, the highest career number in this field. Acoustic Ave earned a 77 in the Aspirant, a 78 in the Breeders’ Futurity, and a 75 in the Notebook.
Looms Boldly cuts back to a more favorable six furlongs here and is well-drawn on the rail to use his speed under Irad Ortiz Jr., who replaces regular rider Franco. Franco is likely to seek a stalking trip with Acoustic Ave.
Mo Trump was second to Acoustic Ave in the Aspirant. However, he was then sixth in the Breeders’ Futurity and has not won since taking his maiden last year.
Stakes-placed maiden winner Dr. Kraft also ships in from Belmont for Chris Englehart.
Rounding out the field are locally based allowance winner Dee’s Wiseguy; Finger Lakes maiden winners Leo and Royal and Shortsinthewinter; and first-time starter Tacony Road.
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