Albertrani has fresh troops for Remsen, Demoiselle

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Tom Albertrani is looking ahead to the pair of 2-year-old stakes at the end of the month at Aqueduct, but he might not be running the juveniles who gave him a win and a second in the opening round of 2-year-old stakes at the meet.

Hemsworth won last Friday’s Grade 2 Nashua Stakes here by 9 1/2 lengths, but Albertrani said Monday he is inclined to skip the Grade 2 Remsen on Nov. 26 with that colt and instead run the maiden Newman.

Newman, like Hemsworth in the Nashua, is a maiden, having lost both of his starts. However, he was beaten only a half-length by You’re to Blame in a one-mile maiden race at Belmont on Oct. 15. You’re to Blame is expected to run in the Remsen.

“If he won the race, he’d be headed that direction anyway, so getting beat a short margin, if the race shapes up and it looks like we belong in there, we’ll probably look at that,” Albertrani said.

Newman and Hemsworth are both progeny of Bernardini owned by Godolphin Racing.

Albertrani said Hemsworth likely would wait until 2017 to run in the series of stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park, which begins with the Mucho Macho Man Stakes on Jan. 7.

The Albertrani-trained Berned finished a late-running second to Miss Sky Warrior in the Grade 3 Tempted, falling three-quarters of a length short after encountering traffic trouble under jockey Antonio Gallardo.

Albertrani did not rule out running Berned back in the Demoiselle, but he is definitely pointing recent six-length maiden winner Ladies Day to that spot. Both Berned and Ladies Day are progeny of Bernardini, but Berned is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Three C Stables, while Ladies Day is owned by Godolphin.

“Antonio thought we could have won if she was able to get through a little earlier,” Albertrani said of Berned. “Two turns could work out in her favor. We’ll see how she comes out of the Tempted.”

Ladies Day was beaten 13 1/2 lengths when second to Runway Doll in the slop at Saratoga on July 31. She came back Oct. 16 with her six-length victory going six furlongs at Belmont.

Albertrani also said that Twilight Eclipse, who finished 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, was expected to ship from California to south Florida on Tuesday and prepare for an 8-year-old campaign.

“We were a little disappointed,” he said. “We thought he was training really well going into the Breeders’ Cup. As long as he’s continuing to do well, I wouldn’t see why another year wouldn’t be on the table for him.”

The Grade 2, $200,000 Mac Diarmida on March 4 could be an early 2017 target for Twilight Eclipse. He has run in that race four consecutive years, winning it in 2014.