Big-name trainers square off in allowance
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – It’s not unusual to see trainers Chad Brown, Christophe Clement, and Bill Mott square off in a weekend feature in New York. It’s a bit more peculiar when it happens on the second Sunday of December over Aqueduct’s inner track.
Such is the case Sunday when that triumvirate sends out half the field in a $67,000 first-level allowance for fillies and mares going a mile and 70 yards on the dirt.
High Ridge Road, trained by Brown, and Endless Chat, trained by Mott, are both coming off maiden wins going a mile around one turn. Ansible, trained by Clement, finished second in his first try on dirt, also in a one-turn-mile race.
Endless Chat and High Ridge Road like to lay close and may find themselves stalking the likely pacesetter Perfect Freud. Ansible most likely will sit back and make one run.
The New York-bred Kathy’s Humor will try open company for the first time after sandwiching a pair of restricted allowance wins around a sixth-place finish in the Empire Distaff. Long Blooming Rose, riding a nine-race losing streak, completes the field.
Key contenders
High Ridge Road (Last 3 Beyers: 81-73-68)
She has improved with each race and reeled in a heavily favored Regina Maria, making up 2 1/2 lengths in the final furlong, to gain a maiden win over a sealed muddy racetrack Nov. 12.
Three weeks earlier, she was impeded at the break and farther off the pace than she probably prefers when finishing third in her first race off a seven-month layoff.
Worked a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.43 Dec. 5 over the Belmont Park main track.
“She’s acting like she wants to run well,” said Cherie DeVaux, Belmont-based assistant for Brown.
Irad Ortiz Jr. rides from post 6.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 High Ridge Road. Trainer Chad Brown is 17-7-3-1 with a $4.12 ROI over the past five years on dirt with last-out maiden winners with horses routing for the second time in their career. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Endless Chat (Last 3 Beyers: 75-65-69)
After running fifth in her in debut in January, she was off for more than eight months before returning with a second-place finish going two turns at Churchill Downs. She raced wide throughout and was outfinished by Leanne N Susan, who had made four previous starts.
In her Nov. 8 maiden win, she was headed and passed by C’est Bon but came on again to get the half-length victory.
Outworked her company in a half-mile move in 48.80 seconds Dec. 6 over the Belmont training track, according to Leanna Willaford, Mott’s New York assistant.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Endless Chat. Trainer Bill Mott is 22-4-5-4 with a $0.88 ROI over the past two years in dirt routes with last-out maiden winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Ansible (Last 3 Beyers: 74-68-76)
No match for favored Tapitry in dirt debut Nov. 20, a race in which Ansible got out a little, reacting from two smacks of the left-handed whip. The third-place finisher from that race Lucky Nancy E came back to win her next start.
Ansible’s lone win from seven career starts came by a neck at Monmouth on turf in August.