Aqueduct: Pletcher looms tough in pair of stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A pair of $60,000 overnight stakes are on tap Sunday, and Todd Pletcher-trained sophomores loom the ones to catch in both.

In the Let Me Linger for fillies, Love and Pride drops out of a pacesetting third in the Grade 1 Gazelle. She drew favorably in post 2, but will likely face pressure from several rivals, including Marion Ravenwood, who comes off a wire-to-wire win in the off-the-turf Capades for Graham Motion; and My Dreamy Mimi, who is first-time Rudy Rodriguez after maiden and first-level allowance wins at Monmouth and Delaware.

Tiz the Argument comes off back-to-back allowance victories with improved Beyer Speed Figures in her first two starts for Richard Dutrow Jr. and has since turned in a pair of bullet works on the inner track.

Other contenders include Ima Jersey Girl, Queen’s Harbor, and Withgreatpleasure.

Six colts and geldings go in the Flying Chevron, headed by San Pablo, a Jump Start colt who has won three of four starts on fast tracks for Pletcher, the lone defeat a close third in an overnight stakes that earned a 102 Beyer.

Socialsaul, who won the New York Derby earlier this year for Gary Contessa, comes off a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap. The New York-bred is the main threat from the rail.

Beautyinthepulpit, Global Power, Isn’t He Perfect, and Norman Asbjornson also entered.

Dominguez wins seven straight

Ramon Dominguez established a new record of seven consecutive victories on the New York Racing Association circuit by winning with his last four mounts Wednesday and his first three Thursday.

After sweeping races five through eight Wednesday with Pleasant Pacific ($6.10), Enchante ($12.80), Fortitude ($9.30), and Willet ($2.20), Dominguez took Thursday’s early double aboard Truffles ($11.40) and Money in Motion ($5.10), and then won race 4 on Shandrea ($8.90).

The streak came to an end in race 5, when Poni Colada finished second as the 19-10 favorite. Dominguez then won race 6 on Rose’s Turn ($5.70), giving him a streak of eight wins and a runner-up finish in the span of nine rides, a tear that vaulted him into third place at the inner-track meet with 13 wins.

Dominguez had previously won six races in a row on Feb. 7-8 of 2009 to share the old record with Jerry Bailey, Steve Cauthen, Stewart Elliott, Jeffrey Fell, Corey Nakatani, and Jorge Velasquez.

Guerrero sends string to Big A

Juan Carlos Guerrero, who is running away with the 2011 training title at Parx Racing, shipped seven head to Aqueduct earlier this week, including Golden Mystery, the pacesetter in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint; and Bahama Bound, a last-out winner of a second-level allowance at Parx, where the trainer had a 47-win lead in the standings as of Dec. 15.

“The plan is to have a little bit of everything,” the 40-year-old trainer said.

Guerrero has risen to prominence the past two years, compiling a record of 115 for 290 (39.6 percent) in 2010, and 144 for 463 (31.1 percent) so far this year.

“I’m trying to shift the momentum into New York, and we’ll see what happens,” he said. “I want to claim some horses as soon as I get there.”

◗ Following Sunday’s card, there will be no live racing at Aqueduct for nine consecutive days, Dec. 19-27. The Big A will be open for simulcasting, with the exceptions of Christmas Eve, Dec. 24; and Christmas Day, Dec. 25. Live racing is scheduled to resume Wednesday, Dec. 28.