Big money on the line in Great White Way, Fifth Avenue

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Unique Unions was eased in his first start. He won with ease in his second start. Saturday, Unique Unions will look to reveal more of his true self when he faces 10 fellow juveniles in the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes series at Aqueduct.

The Great White Way for males and the $500,000 Fifth Avenue for 2-year-old fillies, also run Saturday, are restricted to progeny of New York-based stallions and are at seven furlongs. They are the richest races to be run at the four-month Aqueduct winter meet, owing to an infusion of purse money from the New York State Breeding and Development Fund. Unsurprisingly, each race drew a field of 11.

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Trainer Richard Schosberg had high expectations when he ran Unique Unions in a New York-bred maiden race at Belmont Park on Sept. 25. Schosberg was horrified when he saw Jose Lezcano start pulling the horse up just a quarter-mile into the six-furlong race.

“When he was switching leads in front and then he’d switch behind a couple of strides later, and that’s very uncomfortable when you’re on a horse that does that,” Schosberg said. “It’s like riding a corkscrew. He did it a second time, too, and [Lezcano] said ‘Something’s not right’ and he just pulled him up.”

Schosberg was thankful that Lezcano did that and was more thankful that, after a thorough examination, nothing proved to be wrong with Unique Unions, a gelding by Union Jackson. Two weeks later, Unique Unions worked a bullet half-mile at Belmont and on Nov. 20 at Aqueduct he was a dominant 4 1/4-length winner of a six-furlong maiden race.

“He ran the way we kind of hoped he would,” Schosberg said. “I think we got as good a chance as any in there. I really like the horse. Not only is he a good athlete, he’s a wonderful horse to be around, just as cool and laid back, and seems to know he just has a lot of class.”

Unique Unions will have to deal with the rail, an additional furlong, and the possibility of a wet track on Saturday.

He may also have to deal with the speedy Bustin Pietre right to his outside. Bustin Pietre won for maiden $50,000 claiming and then came back to finish a well-beaten second to odds-on favorite Senbei in the Notebook Stakes. Senbei, by Candy Ride, is not eligible for this race. He went 4 for 5 as a 2-year-old.

“I was happy to be second,” trainer Bruce Levine said. “You think he would have spit the bit chasing him. He ran game.”

A wet track shouldn’t hinder Bustin Pietre. Both his sire and dam won over wet surfaces and his full brother Bustin Timberlake is 2 for 2 over a wet track.

A hot pace could benefit Iron Lion in Zion, who after finishing fifth on debut came back to rally from last in an 11-horse field to win a seven-furlong maiden race by 2 3/4 lengths.

“He [missed] the break second time and it didn’t seem to hinder him,” trainer Tom Morley said. “I don’t know if it was the toughest maiden race, but he couldn’t have won it any more impressively.”

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Kenner won a New York-bred maiden race at Belmont in October before finishing fourth in an open first-level allowance at Laurel Park.

Un Ojo is a New York-bred who was running at Delta Downs, winning a maiden race and finishing fourth in the Jean Lafitte Stakes. He will start for trainer Tony Dutrow.

Geno and Maseta have made all their starts on turf, and will try dirt for the first time chasing this big pot.

Fifth Avenue

Multiple winners Morning Matcha and Howdyoumakeurmoney, both based in the Mid-Atlantic region, look to be the ones to beat in the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS, which drew five maidens in a 11-horse field.

Morning Matcha, a Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Central Banker, has won her last two starts, both against open company at Parx. Trainer Butch Reid said stretching Morning Matcha out around two turns in a one-mile race last out may have enabled the filly to show her best, but he doesn’t mind this cutback in distance, especially considering the company and the purse.

Though Morning Matcha has already raced six times in 2021, Reid believes the filly is still improving.

“She’s really matured, put on weight, believe it or not with this many starts,” Reid said. “It’s pretty rare I start a 2-year-old seven times, but she’s taken every step and progressed with each start. I couldn’t be any happier. I expect her to keep moving forward.”

Howdyoumakeurmoney, trained by Michael Trombetta, won the Presque Isle Debutante over a synthetic surface on Oct. 4 and came back 26 days later to finish second in the Glorious Song Stakes at Woodbine. She did face New York-breds once on dirt, finishing fourth in her debut behind dominant winner Sue Ellen Mishkin at Saratoga.

“Her first race she got used on the pace and got tired,” Trombetta said. “We tried turf, she did good, tried synthetic, she did better. She works good enough, you’d think she’d be fine on the dirt. No better spot than this one to find out.”

Mychel Sanchez rides Howdyoumakeurmoney from post 7, one slot outside Morning Matcha and Kendrick Carmouche.

Laoban’s Legacy and Bank On Anna look to top the list of locally based runners.