Aqueduct: Sweet Reason preps for Gazelle in Friday’s two-turn feature

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – How sweet it is! On paper, at least.

Trainer Leah Gyarmati appears to have found a delicious spot in which to bring her Grade 1-winning filly Sweet Reason back to the races. Last year’s Spinaway winner faces just four maiden winners in a $69,000 optional-claiming race Friday at Aqueduct.

The race, at a mile around two turns, is for 3-year-old fillies who have never won three races lifetime or are being offered for a claiming tag of $75,000. Sweet Reason is the only horse in the field with two wins.

This race will be the first start for Sweet Reason, a daughter of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, since she finished fourth as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 2. It is designed as a prep for the Grade 2, $300,000 Gazelle Stakes here April 5, a race that could determine whether Sweet Reason makes it to the Kentucky Oaks on May 2.

“We got a couple of races coming up [around] two turns and we’ll see if that’s her thing,” said Gyarmati, who trains Sweet Reason for Jeff Treadway. “If not, there are plenty of options down the line between here and Saratoga that we can do with her one turn.”

Sweet Reason won two starts around one turn at Saratoga – including the Spinaway – in which she showed a strong late kick. She broke terribly in the Grade 1 Frizette, a one-turn mile at Belmont in October, before making a huge run to finish second to Artemis Agrotera. In the Juvenile Fillies, her first start around two turns, Sweet Reason was 13 lengths out of it early before rallying to finish fourth, beaten two lengths.

Following the Breeders’ Cup, Sweet Reason was given a month off on a farm in New Jersey before returning to Gyarmati’s Belmont Park barn in early January. Despite a difficult winter from a weather standpoint, Gyarmati was able to get nine workouts into Sweet Reason. On Sunday, Sweet Reason worked five furlongs in 1:00.54, the fastest of 34 moves at the distance.

“With her, I’ve been very lucky with the breezes, I haven’t really missed anything – maybe a day here or there I had to move something around,” Gyarmati said. “Trying to find a race when I want, that’s more the issue.”

With the exception of an apparent lack of pace, this race could end up being an ideal prep for the Gazelle. Sweet Reason will break from post 3 under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Trainer Tom Albertrani sends out the uncoupled entry of Ballylee and Aqua Regia. Ballylee, a daughter of Street Cry, won her debut here Dec. 22 by 3 1/4 lengths before finishing fifth as the favorite in the Busher Stakes on Feb. 1. She is getting Lasix for the first time and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz. After two losses sprinting, Aqua Regia won a maiden race by 3 3/4 lengths going a mile here Feb. 8.

Wraith and Brown Mellisa complete the field.