Aqueduct: Alpaca Fina drops from stakes ranks

Alpaca Fina and Go West Marie come out of third-place finishes in stakes and may vie for favoritism against four last-out winners in Monday’s featured fifth race, a $75,000 optional claimer for 3-year-old fillies with first-level allowance conditions.

Alpaca Fina was claimed from a winning debut by David Jacobson and then finished third in the Sharp Cat overnight stakes on closing day of Belmont’s fall meet before capturing both of her starts on Aqueduct’s main track to conclude her juvenile campaign.

After stumbling at the start and finishing fifth in the Jan. 4 Busanda, Alpaca Fina cut back to six furlongs in the Ruthless with blinkers on and finished evenly for third on a muddy track.

Alpaca Fina is in for the optional-claiming price, as is Forbidden Talent, who breaks from the rail with leading apprentice Taylor Rice aboard after wiring a restricted claiming sprint with the aid of an inside speed bias Jan. 10.

Go West Marie returned from a three-month layoff for a win over $50,000 maidens in the mud for Carlos Martin on Dec. 29, after which she was transferred to David Donk.

Go West Marie returns in 16 days after giving futile chase in the Dearly Precious against 1-5 shot Gracer, who was subsequently retired due to injury.

Flaring, Foxbeau, and Red Minx each was victorious in her last start.

Flaring was no match for Go West Marie in the mud but prevailed over $50,000 maidens by a nose three weeks later for trainer Joe Mazza.

Foxbeau goes first time off a claim by Dominic Galluscio after smashing restricted claimers by five lengths on a good track.

Red Minx takes the next logical step on the heels of a front-running debut score over maiden special weight foes for Todd Pletcher.

Family tradition continues

Katie Davis, the daughter of retired jockey Robbie Davis and sister to jockeys Jackie and Dylan Davis, emerged from the fog to notch her first career victory, winning aboard the Eddie Barker-trained Ivanovna in Friday’s second race.

Ivanovna ($20.40) trailed down the backstretch in the one-mile race and launched a wide rally in the stretch to win the $12,500 claimer by a length under the 10-pound apprentice.

“It’s nice to know you have a horse who can run,” said Davis, 22, who was riding in the 15th race of her career. “It was a great experience. I galloped the horse in the morning a few times. She listens to me, and [one of the owners] said she doesn’t really listen to anybody, so I have good hands with her. I was on the inside, ripping my goggles down, until I took her out in the clear.”