Acoustic Ave will have company on front end in New York Breeders' Futurity

Acoustic Ave’s victory was never in doubt in last month’s Aspirant Stakes at Finger Lakes, the local prep for one of the track’s most prestigious events, the $158,579 New York Breeders’ Futurity for statebred juveniles. But the waters get much deeper Monday.

Acoustic Ave will face stiff competition on the front end of the six-furlong race from a familiar foe, graded stakes-placed Andiamo a Firenze, and a competitor new to the stakes ranks in Stonewall Star.

The Futurity has been run since 1963 at this Farmington, N.Y., track. Over the years, it has been won by Finger Lakes legends like Proud Puppy (1988), Jack Betta Be Rite (1989), and Shesastonecoldfox (2001), as well as by nationally familiar names like Say Florida Sandy (1996) and Mellow Roll (1997).

Acoustic Ave’s connections – trainer Christophe Clement, jockey Manny Franco, and owner Reeves Thoroughbred Racing – are looking for a second Futurity win after taking last year’s edition with Senbei. Acoustic Ave debuted for them with a 7 1/4-length maiden score at Saratoga, then was third to Andiamo a Firenze and Donegal Surges in the Funny Cide Stakes on Aug. 26. In the Aspirant on Sept. 26, he shook off pace pressure to roll by 9 1/4 lengths. The victory earned him a free entry to the Futurity.

Acoustic Ave is drawn in post 3 under Franco, with the other speed both inside and outside of him. Stonewall Star – with Jose Ortiz in the irons after Franco rode her in her first two starts – is ideally drawn on the rail, while Andiamo a Firenze and Jose Lezcano landed in post 6 in the field of eight.

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Stonewall Star was second on debut for Horacio De Paz, then rolled to a 4 1/2-length maiden score at Aqueduct last time out. She earned a flashy Beyer Speed Figure of 72 – against a career-best of 76 for Acoustic Ave in the Aspirant.

Andiamo a Firenze, a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Firenze Fire, has long been well-regarded for trainer Kelly Breen, and lived up to the billing with a debut win at Belmont Park that earned him a field-best 80 Beyer. He was third in the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes, then went back to face statebreds in the Funny Cide, rolling by 5 1/2 lengths and again posting an 80. He showed the way in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes going a mile at Aqueduct before finishing fourth.

Tracking the pace set by the three favorites will be a solid second flight of horses with local experience in Mo Trump and Gold in Them Hills, second and third, respectively, in the Aspirant, and Mshindi, a Finger Lakes maiden winner from off the pace.

Maiden Tiz Lucky, who was fourth in the Aspirant, and the first-time starter The Catillac Kid complete the field.

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