Aqueduct: Street Game regains good form in Dave Stakes

Street Game discovered the form that made him the champion 3-year-old New York-bred male in 2011 by cruising to a 2 3/4-length victory in Sunday’s $75,000 Dave Stakes at Aqueduct.

Alex Solis, who was riding one day after high-blood pressure issues forced his removal from his mount on Saturday, was aboard for the front-running victory.

Lubash, another New York-bred, rallied to get second by three-quarters of a length over Hyper. Abilio was fourth and Seal Cove, the 6-5 favorite, finished last.

It was the first stakes victory for Street Game since he won the Grade 3 Hill Prince at Belmont Park on June 18, 2011. That race, like the Dave, was run over a yielding course.

Last year, Street Game went winless in five stakes attempts though he did win two open company allowance races. Sunday’s race was his first since last October, when he finished fifth in the Mohawk Stakes at Belmont.

“Unfortunately, it seemed like we never got untracked last year for whatever reason,” said Phil Serpe, who trains Street Game for Flying Zee Stables. “He’s come back good and fresh. He’s always liked the soft going. We liked him going in - it’s easy to say now - he’d been training well.”

Street Game, a 5-year-old son of Street Cry, covered the 1 1/16 miles over yielding turf in 1:44.56 and returned $26.80 as the longest shot on the board in the five-horse field.

While New York Racing Association officials put this race up as a prep for the Grade 3, $150,000 Fort Marcy at Belmont Park on May 4, Serpe said he may wait for the $125,000 Kingston Stakes for New York-breds at Belmont on June 1.

Earlier on the card, heavily favored Sunny Desert ($2.30) rallied wide and had to work hard under Rajiv Maragh to get past Erin Enchanted to win the $75,000 Shot Berry Stakes by three-quarters of a length.

Sunny Desert, who won for the eighth time in her last nine starts for trainer John Parisella and owners Max and Saul Kupferberg, ran a mile in 1:37.23. She will most likely point for the $100,000 Dancing Renee Stakes on June 1 at Belmont.