Aqueduct notes: My Miss Aurelia’s return likely postponed until 2014

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The comeback of champion My Miss Aurelia remains on hold and will now likely not take place until this winter in south Florida.

Hoping to run My Miss Aurelia in the Grade 2, $300,000 Go for Wand at Aqueduct on Nov. 29, trainer Todd Pletcher has had to scrap those plans due to a nagging foot issue that has plagued My Miss Aurelia for the past month. Pletcher said that My Miss Aurelia will head to south Florida on Saturday to train for a presumed comeback beginning at Gulfstream Park in early 2014.

“We’ve had a frustrating frog issue that’s taken a little while to sort out,” Pletcher said, referring to the bottom of a horse’s foot which acts like a shock absorber. “We’re ready to move forward now. It’s just one of those things that’s minor in the grand scheme of things, but it held us up from progressing the way we wanted to.”

My Miss Aurelia, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2011, has not raced since finishing third in the Grade 3 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn in March. Trained by Steve Asmussen then, My Miss Aurelia was sent to owner Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Farm in Ocala, Fla., for a break to recover from a physical issue and then transferred to Pletcher during the summer. The issue with her foot initially cropped up in mid-October when My Miss Aurelia was being pointed to an overnight stakes at Belmont Park.

Pletcher will be represented in the Go for Wand by Fantasy of Flight and possibly Royal Lahaina. Fantasy of Flight and Royal Lahaina finished third and fourth in the Turnback the Alarm on Oct. 26 at Belmont.

Others expected to run in the Go for Wand are Centring and Willet. Willet finished second in last year’s Go for Wand, beaten a neck by Nefertini.

Trail Blaze impresses in debut

Stonestreet and Pletcher unveiled a good-looking 2-year-old colt on Wednesday in Trail Blaze, who won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race and earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure. A son of Indian Charlie, Trail Blaze won by 4 3/4 lengths and ran the distance in 1:03.64.

“I thought he ran well,” Pletcher said. “I was a little concerned that 5 1/2 might be a little short for him, but he broke well enough where it wasn’t an issue. We needed to get him going; he was ready to run. It seems the owners have one for the seven-furlong race on Cigar Mile Day and we wanted to keep them separated.”

Trail Blaze along with recent debut winner Matterhorn, who won his debut for Pletcher last Saturday, will soon head to Florida to begin preparation for their 3-year-old campaigns.

My Happy Face to Comely

My Happy Face has new connections, but is residing in her old barn – for the time being.

After My Happy Face failed to meet her reserve at the Fasig-Tipton sale earlier this month, owner Michael Dubb sold a majority interest in her to Gary Hartunian’s Rockingham Ranch and she was transferred to trainer Peter Miller, who is based in Southern California.

However, before heading to California for the winter, My Happy Face returned to New York where she will run in the Grade 3, $400,000 Comely Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Nov. 30 at Aqueduct. She is in the Aqueduct barn of Rudy Rodriguez, who was her first trainer before Dubb transferred her to Chad Brown. My Happy Face’s training is being overseen by Martin Contreras, an assistant to Miller.

“She’s a big, pretty filly, came in in great shape,” said Miller, who came to New York last weekend to watch the filly breeze. “Chad Brown did a great job with her. She’s healthy and fit and looks ready to roll.”

Miller said that after the Comely My Happy Face will head to Southern California and point to the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita. Last year the La Brea was run on the Dec. 26 opening-day card. Santa Anita has yet to release its stakes schedule for the meeting.

Others expected for the Comely include Fiftyshadesofhay, Galloping Giraffe, Marathon Lady, Toasting, and Wedding Toast.

Romansh to stay in U.S.

Romansh, impressive 9 1/4-length winner of the Grade 3 Discovery on Nov. 2 for Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum’s Godolphin Racing, will remain in the U.S. for his 4-year-old campaign and will winter in south Florida, according to trainer Tom Albertrani.

The Grade 1, $500,000 Donn Handicap on Feb. 8 at Gulfstream is an early season objective. The local prep for the Donn is the Grade 3, $100,000 Hal’s Hope, a one-turn mile race on Jan. 11.

“The Donn would be a major target for him,” Albertrani said. “What happens before then we’ll just have to see how he settles in and how he’s training.”

Romansh shipped to the Palm Meadows training center in Florida last week. Romansh, a son of Bernardini, earned a 110 Beyer Speed Figure for his performance in the Discovery.