Aqueduct: Farhaan capable Stymie sub for McLaughlin
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has relocated the top older male he had based in New York to south Florida, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t win Saturday’s $100,000 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct.
With Long River, winner of last month’s Evening Attire, now at Palm Meadows, McLaughlin will send out Farhaan against five rivals in the Stymie, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles over Aqueduct’s inner track. Farhaan, a son of 2006 Belmont Stakes winner Jazil, appeared better suited to the turf, but he is coming off a five-length victory in the Lord of the Night Stakes on dirt here Dec. 29. That race, at a mile and 70 yards, was run over a sealed muddy track, circumstances that could be in play on Saturday with a forecast that calls for potentially more snow following Thursday’s winter storm that prompted Friday’s cancellation.
“When we switched him to the dirt, he continually got better,” McLaughlin said. “Moisture in the track will be better for him. It’s a tough race, but he’s doing great.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Farhaan from post 6 at 123 pounds.
In the Evening Attire, Long River had to run down Percussion. In the Stymie, Farhaan will likely have to run down Percussion, who could be the controlling speed from post 2 under Chris DeCarlo. After taking blinkers off Percussion in August, trainer Todd Pletcher put blinkers back on the 6-year-old gelding for his last start, and he responded with a terrific performance. Though he finished second to Long River, Percussion finished 13 1/2 lengths ahead of the rest of the Evening Attire field.
Pletcher explained that he took the blinkers off initially in hopes of getting Percussion to better relax. In the summer, Pletcher said he felt Percussion “started getting a little too complacent” so he opted to put the blinkers back on.
“I think that was part of the reason why he ran the way he did. Maybe getting back to Aqueduct was another reason,” Pletcher said. “Either way, we’re not going to play with it.”
Pletcher expressed a little concern that Percussion could regress off his lifetime best figure, but added “that maybe without Long River in there he won’t have to be quite as good.”
If Percussion is to get a challenge on the front end, it figures to come from Mail, who won the Traskwood Stakes, a race restricted to 3-year-olds, in front-running fashion. Mail was scratched out of the Jan. 25 Native Dancer Stakes at Laurel.
Jonesy Boy won the Queens County at 1 1/8 miles before finishing a distant third in the Evening Attire. Don Dulce, recently claimed by Mitch Friedman for $75,000, and Gourmet Dinner, a millionaire who was defeated 25 lengths by Mucho Macho Man in the Sunshine Millions Classic, complete the lineup.