Aqueduct: Gracer takes Dearly Precious at 1-5

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The most anxiety the connections of Gracer had Saturday was simply getting to Aqueduct.

Traffic, presumably caused by pot-hole repair on battered New York highways, made for a 4 1/2-hour trip from Fair Hill, Md., for trainer Tony Dutrow and his wife Kim.

“I left Fair Hill at 9:15 and made it here with five minutes to spare,” Tony Dutrow said.

At least he arrived in time to saddle Gracer and then watch jockey Alex Cintron guide her to a front-running, 10 1/4-length victory in the $100,000 Dearly Precious Stakes at Aqueduct. Sustainable finished second by four lengths over Go West Marie. Bridget Moloney and Sky Saratoga completed the order of finish.

Gracer, the 2-5 morning-line favorite, was sent off at 1-5, returning $2.40 to win. Of the $424,335 wagered to show, $390,786 was wagered on Gracer, who returned $2.10 to show.

Gracer, a daughter of Exchange Rate, won for the fourth time in six starts. It was her third consecutive stakes victory having won the Blue Mountain Juvenile Fillies at Penn National and the Marshua Stakes at Laurel before Saturday.

Breaking from post 5, Gracer broke on top and opened up a clear advantage through a quarter in 23.35 seconds, a half-mile in 46.53 and covered the six furlongs in 1:10.36 with Cintron looking behind him several times in the stretch.

“That appeared to be very easy for her,” said Dutrow, who trains Gracer for Team D and Three Chimneys Racing. “She broke well and looked like she went very easily around there.”

Gracer wore front bandages for the first time in her career, but Dutrow said he put them on for precautionary purposes as the filly nicked herself in her last race.

If Dutrow elects to keep Gracer in the Northeast, he could bring her back to Aqueduct for the $100,000 Cicada Stakes here on March 15.