Angela Renee back at the races Thursday
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When the Grade 1 winner Angela Renee hammered down as the $3 million sale-topper at last November’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky mixed sale, it was believed that she was going to join the ever-growing broodmare band of Carlos Heller’s Don Alberto Corp.
But first, Angela Renee, a full sibling to To Honor and Serve, will return to the races for her 4-year-old debut and her first start for new trainer Chad Brown in a $69,000, second-level optional-claiming race Thursday at Aqueduct. The mile-and-70-yard race drew a field of six and is carded as the third race, thus it will not be part of a pick six wager that begins the day with a $22,284 carryover. That starts in race 4.
Angela Renee, previously trained by Todd Pletcher, won the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes in 2014 at Santa Anita and was then favored in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, where she finished 10th.
Her 3-year-old season was disappointing, with a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Ashland as her lone in-the-money finish from five starts. Angela Renee was stopped on following a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Test last August at Saratoga.
Angela Renee faces four horses who come out of a similar spot as this Feb. 18 in which the top four finishers were separated by a neck. Mrs. Hudson, second, was beaten a head by Noble and a Beauty, while Prairie Stone was fourth, beaten a neck.
KEY CONTENDERS
Angela Renee, by Bernardini
Last 3 Beyers: 71-76-85
After winning her debut sprinting at Belmont in the summer of 2014, Angela Renee has competed in nothing but stakes, six of which were Grade 1 races.
She shows 11 workouts, starting Jan. 4, at Palm Meadows leading up to her return.
“She’s training well,” Brown said via text. “It looks like a logical spot to start her back.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Angela Renee. Trainer Chad Brown is 14-6-2-1 with a $2.80 ROI over the past five years on dirt in the first start following a trainer switch and a layoff of 180 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Jules N Rome, by Dunkirk
Last 3 Beyers: 87-77-73
New York-bred filly recorded a front-running victory going 1 1/16 miles over the inner track while going first off the claim for trainer Danny Gargan on Jan. 7.
Looms as the controlling speed in this spot again under Kendrick Carmouche but is giving five pounds to the rest of the field.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the last two years, Gargan is 3 for 12 with a $1.79 ROI in route races with horses returning from a layoff of 60 to 180 days. Carmouche is 3 for 4 for Gargan in that situation.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Jules N Rome. Trainer Danny Gargan is 27-11-7-5 with a $3.38 ROI over the past five years in routes on the Aqueduct inner dirt with Kendrick Carmouche aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Prairie Stone, by Stonesider
Last 3 Beyers: 79-74-50
Of the four horses coming out of the Feb. 18 race, this one may have run the best race. Last in a bunched-up field, Prairie Stone lacked running room when trying to split horses in deep stretch. She eventually got through and was only beaten a neck while galloping out in front of the field.
New York-bred mare is only 1 for her last 13, but that win came the only time she was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., who is riding her in this spot.
Mrs. Hudson, by Street Cry
Last 3 Beyers: 79-80-87
Chased the pace and did well to hold on for second in her first start around two turns.
Might find herself again in a chasing mode as Jules N Rome looms as the likely pacesetter.