Aqueduct: Stopchargingmaria dominates Tempted as favorite

Go ahead and mark down last month’s Frizette Stakes as a key race.

Stopchargingmaria, who ran third behind Artemis Agrotera and Sweet Reason in the Frizette, became the fourth stakes winner to emerge from that race when she shook off early pace pressure and drew away to win Sunday’s Grade 3, $245,000 Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct by a pole.

Chalk players never had an anxious moment. Stopchargingmaria ($3.70) shook off Divided Attention and Potosi’s Silver through an opening half-mile into the wind in 47.74 seconds, opened up around the turn, and widened through the stretch, despite drifting out, to win by 10 ¾ lengths under Javier Castellano.

“She was the classiest horse in the race,” said Castellano. “It was a great performance. I was just the pilot today. She drew off so nice and made it look so easy. I used my own judgment and put her in the game, and she was the best.”

Trained by Todd Pletcher, who was notching the second of three straight wins on the card, Stopchargingmaria ran one mile in 1:38.77 on a fast main track, and joined the 5-6-7 finishers from the Frizette as subsequent stakes winners. That list includes Ria Antonia, who was placed first via disqualification in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at 32-1, along with Recepta and Tea Time, who captured overnight stakes closing day at Belmont Park.

Stopchargingmaria won for the second time in four starts, and earned $150,000 for owner Mike Repole.

“We haven’t gotten a nice one like that for a while here, but I guess I’m back at my home track, Aqueduct, and it seems I do better here than most other places,” said Repole. “I’ll talk to Todd about bringing her back for the [Demoiselle]. She really did it so easy today. She was much the best.”

Divided Attention, who dropped back to last after battling for the lead between rivals into the turn, rallied widest into the stretch and was along to finish second by a length over 27-1 outsider Derek’s Girl.

Stonetastic and Potosi’s Silver completed the order of finish.