Aqueduct: Hushion sad to see Big A close after Mine Over Matter wins Fabersham

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Mike Hushion had one question after Mine Over Matter got up in the final stride to beat Uncle T Seven by a nose in the $75,000 Fabersham Stakes on closing day at Aqueduct.

“Why are they closing Aqueduct?” Hushion said.

Mine Over Matter’s last-to-first jaunt under Jose Lezcano through the slop gave Hushion a sweep of the weekend stakes. On Saturday, Hushion won the Grade 2, $200,000 Jerome Stakes with The Lumber Guy and he finished the meet with 6 wins from 17 starters.

Mine Over Matter, a 5-year-old son of Mineshaft owned by Chester and Mary Broman, was making his second start of the year and second for Hushion. He had finished second in a one-turn mile race here on March 24, a day when he pressed the early pace.

Sunday, Mine Over Matter was last in the field as Itsagoodtendollars and Writingonthewall dueled through fractions of 23.40 seconds and 47.29 racing into the wind.

Turning for home, Lezcano guided Mine Over Matter to the outside and he closed powerfully down the center of the track to nip Uncle T Seven, under Ramon Dominguez, in the last jump. Dominguez is now winless with 24 mounts since returning from his separated collarbone sustained on March 18.

It was three lengths back to Itsagoodtendollars. Wee Freudian, Be Bullish, who bled, and Writingonthewall completed the order of finish.

Mine Over Matter covered the seven furlongs in 1:25.32 and returned $8.20.

Hushion said he thought Mine Over Matter would be into the race more early “but Jose said the others were sending their horses along pretty good.”

Hushion said he would look for a similar spot as this at the Belmont meet for Mine Over Matter.

Rice wins title in final race

In the race following the Fabersham, Thisskysabeauty rallied past Atitlan in mid-stretch under Cornelio Velasquez to win a $16,000 claiming race and give Linda Rice the meet trainer title outright, 13-12, over Rudy Rodriguez. Richard Dutrow Jr., who got beat a nose with Uncle T Seven in the Fabersham, finished with 11 wins.

The win capped a huge weekend for Rice, who won four races on Saturday. This was Rice’s fourth trainer title on the New York Racing Association circuit, and her second outright. She won the 2010 Saratoga meet, tied David Jacobson for the 2011 Aqueduct spring title and tied Todd Pletcher for the 2011 Belmont spring/summer title.

“I think winning the title at Saratoga would be my best memory in racing ever, but to tie or win Aqueduct, Belmont to me it means a lot,” Rice said. “You have to show consistency. As Wayne Lukas told me a long time ago, getting to the top is a lot easier than staying there.”

Velasquez won the jockey title with 24 wins. David Cohen finished second with 20 followed by Eddie Castro (18).

Racing on this circuit moves to Belmont beginning Friday.