Aqueduct: Garland of Roses hard-pressed to find five horses

Thanks to three supplemental nominations, Saturday’s $65,000 Garland of Roses Stakes will go with a five-horse field.

Of the 18 horses nominated, only Cinco de Mayo Mio, absent from the races since May, and Ms Vanenzza, who has not run since September, entered the six-furlong Garland of Roses.

The racing office scrambled to fill the race, getting Isn’t She Grand, a recent starter allowance winner at Parx; Afaaf, last in a Nov. 18 turf race, and C.C.’s Pal, third in the Grade 2 Go for Wand last Friday, to enter.

The Garland of Roses will go as race 3 on a nine-race card.

Wildcat’s Smile to get a break

Wildcat’s Smile, beaten a nose by Disposablepleasure in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes, will get a three-month freshening before returning for her 3-year-old campaign, trainer Dominic Galluscio said.

“She’s had six races, that’s a lot for a 2-year-old,’’ Galluscio said. “We’ll give her the winter off, resume training in Florida, and get her ready for her 3-year-old year.’’

Wildcat’s Smile finished first or second in five of her six starts. She beat the boys in the New York Breeders ‘ Futurity, then was beaten one-half length by Bellacourt in the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes on New York Showcase Day.

Though Wildcat’s Smile was attempting 1 1/8 miles for the first time in the Demoiselle, Galluscio was confident the filly could get the distance considering she was a half-sister to Johannesburg Smile.

“I was very confident she would like the mile and an eighth. I didn’t know if she would class with them,’’ Galluscio said.

Wildcat’s Smile lost to a game Disposablepleasure, who stumbled badly at the start, had to stop and alter course dramatically entering the far turn and then split horses to nip Wildcat’s Smile by a nose.

“I almost wish [Disposablepleasure] would have broke clean and beat us by five,’’ Galluscio said. “It wouldn’t have been as aggravating.’’

Galluscio said that Johannesburg Smile, a multiple New York-bred stakes winner, would get the winter off as well. Galluscio said Stormy’s Majesty, the 2010 Discovery winner who got last winter off, would complete in some of the handicap stakes run in New York this winter.

NYRA Network to show Gulfstream

The New York Racing Association, which usually broadcasts only its own races until the card is complete, plans to broadcast on Channel 71 the races live from Gulfstream Park between Aqueduct’s races. Gulfstream’s meet begins Saturday.

NYRA and Gulfstream officials have scheduled post times 12 to 13 minutes apart to allow this to happen. However, in instances when the two tracks run races close together, Aqueduct’s races will take precedence. On weekends, post time for Aqueduct’s last race is 4:05 p.m., 10 minutes earlier than during the week.

NYRA paid New York City and took over the programming of Channel 71 last December when New York City OTB shutdown.

Viewers in other parts of New York where OTBs are operational will not get Gulfstream’s races live.