And One More Time loves cutback as Castellano notches another stakes win in Plenty of Grace
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – That Javier Castellano already has won nine stakes this year – he had 17 all of 2025 – isn’t because he is riding better. It’s because he’s riding better horses.
That fact was to be on display over a 24-hour period that began Friday afternoon when Castellano rode And One More Time to a front-running, three-quarter-length victory in the $150,000 Plenty of Grace Stakes at Aqueduct.
At the completion of Friday’s card, Castellano was headed across the street to JFK Airport to catch a flight to Florida where on Saturday morning he was to work Tampa Bay Derby winner The Puma at Gulfstream Park for his intended start in the Kentucky Derby in two weeks. Castellano then was to catch a return flight to New York where Saturday afternoon he was to ride Solitude Dude, the 3-5 favorite, in the $150,000 Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct.
“When you ride good horses, you build your own confidence,” said Castellano, who now has 5,968 career victories. “They make you look good. People say ‘Man, you’re riding good.’ No, you’re riding good horses. … I’ve been riding good for the last 25 years. You need to be surrounded with the right people, you need to ride for good outfits.”
Mark Casse, a Hall of Fame trainer, certainly qualifies as a good outfit. The decision to cut And One More Time back to the one-mile distance was smart. And One More Time had won her previous two starts at one mile including the Grade 1 Natalma at Woodbine as a 2-year-old.
Friday, And One More Time was cutting back from the 1 1/8-mile, Grade 2 Hillsborough, a race at Tampa Bay Downs in which she finished fifth, beaten just one length.
The Plenty of Grace was basically won around the first turn when And One More Time was able to clear Accent who was steadied by Jose Lezcano. And One More Time continued on alone on the lead through a half-mile in 48.69 seconds and six furlongs in 1:12.99. She held off a late bid from Oversubscribed to win by three-quarters of a length.
Castellano had to withstand a claim of foul from Lezcano who said that Castellano “completely took away the run from my horse,” entering the first turn.
The stewards dismissed the foul claim.
Castellano said that Lezcano “anticipated” something happening going into the turn that Castellano believes didn’t happen.
“I gave him plenty of room, you can see the head-on, you can see the slow motion [replay], there’s a big gap right there, I never come over,” Castellano said. “When he grabbed his horse, he didn’t make the turn. He blamed me, but I always stayed straight.”
Oversubscribed was second by 3 1/2 lengths over Al Jafara, who was three-quarters in front of Accent as the trio of Chad Brown-trained runners finished second-through-fourth
And One More Time, a 4-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach, covered the mile over firm turf in 1:36.68 and returned $4.28 as the favorite.
Next race plans were not immediately known for And One More Time, but the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game is run at one mile at Saratoga on June 6.
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