Aqueduct: Inspired Say Eye able sub for Miss Behaviour in Cicada
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Miss Behaviour’s 3-year-old debut will have to wait.
Miss Behaviour, winner of the Grade 2 Matron last year, was scratched from Saturday’s $100,000 Cicada Stakes due to an illness, trainer Phil Schoenthal said Saturday morning. Miss Behaviour had not started since finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Delta Princess in her first attempt going long last Nov. 23.
Also scratching from the Cicada was Go West Marie, who was entered back in a first-level allowance race on Monday. Rock Me Mama, who was also entered in that Monday race, will instead run in the Cicada, trainer Jason Servis said, which will now go postward with a seven-horse field.
According to Schoenthal, Miss Behaviour had a temperature following training Wednesday morning in Maryland, and a subsequent blood test revealed an elevated muscle enzyme count and her white blood cell count was off.
“She’s not 100 percent, and I’m not going to ask her to run if she’s not 100 percent,” Schoenthal said.
Schoenthal will still be represented in the Cicada by Inspired Say Eye, who has won two her last three starts, including a seven-length allowance win at Laurel on Jan. 30.
“I like my chances immensely,” he said. “Inspired Say Eye is absolutely doing fantastic.”
Inspired Say Eye will break from post 2 under Abel Castellano.
Schoenthal said Inspired Say Eye has become more relaxed since he put a goat in her stall to keep her company.
Schoenthal expects Inspired Say Eye to be part of the pace along with Jonesin for Jerry, who is wheeling back 15 days after winning an allowance race at Laurel for trainer John Robb.
Mamdooha, winner of the Ruthless Stakes on Jan. 12, will most likely go off the favorite in the Cicada. After losing her debut at Monmouth, Mamdooha has won three straight, including the Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel on Dec. 7 and the Ruthless Stakes here on Jan. 12. Both of those wins were in the mud. The track will be fast on Saturday.
“I think she’s run pretty well on fast, though the numbers might say differently,” said Art Magnuson, assistant to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “She broke her maiden very well on a fast track.”
The barn will also send out Sustainable, who was runner-up to Gracer in the Dearly Precious.
“I think that was her best race, even though she got beat,” Magnuson said.
Red Minx and Alpaca Fina complete the seven-horse field.