Blue Gator likely favorite in Rego Park Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Todd Pletcher and Mike Maker may have taken their better horses to South Florida for the winter, but they still have enough New York-breds in the barn to have a productive winter at Aqueduct.

Sunday, the two trainers each has three horses entered in the $100,000 Rego Park, a 6 1/2-furlong stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds.

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Maker has the likely favorite in Blue Gator, winner of the New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes in October, as well as longer-priced runners Lookin for Trouble and Windy Nations.

Pletcher has the potential second and third choices in maiden winners Uno and Perfect Munnings as well as Storm Shooter.

Halpert, trained by Jeremiah Englehart, and New York One, shipped in by trainer James Chapman, complete the lineup.

Blue Gator, a son of Liam’s Map, won his debut in September at Belmont before taking the Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes by 4 1/2 lengths. In that race, run over a sloppy surface, he stalked the pace from second before taking over at the top of the lane. Though he did lug in a touch in the stretch, he was a relatively easy winner.

Sent off the 7-5 favorite in the Notebook Stakes, Blue Gator made a bit of an early move and was beaten by Eagle Orb while finishing 6 1/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field.

“I thought the winner ran dynamite that day,” Maker said. “We were second best no matter what we did. I think he’ll benefit to sit a little bit in the race.”

There should be plenty of pace in the Rego Park. Lookin for Trouble was part of the early scrum in the Notebook. He is coming in off a turf race where he finished third.

“It was an experiment,” Maker said. “There was nothing to run him in going six furlongs, and the way they were coming off the turf my initial thought was it would come off.”

Windy Nations was a supplemental nominee. He finished fourth, beaten just 1 1/2 lengths in the Thunder Rumble of the New York Stallion Series.

Uno was the second morning-line choice for the Thunder Rumble on Dec. 6. He was scratched due to a foot issue.

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Uno, a son of Laoban, won his debut by 3 3/4 lengths in the mud at Aqueduct on Nov. 12.

“We thought he came on strong, finished up well,” said Byron Hughes, assistant to Pletcher. “He had been breezing well in the mornings and he ran to his morning workouts.”

Perfect Munnings, a son of Munnings, won on turf on Nov. 29 in his only start. Hughes said the horse has worked well enough on dirt to give this race a shot.

Manny Franco rides Perfect Munnings from the outside in the eight-horse field.

Storm Shooter was setting the pace in the Notebook under Jose Ortiz before dropping back suddenly on the turn and finishing sixth. He is getting blinkers for the Rego Park.

“Jose thought he got in tight and sucked himself out of there, so he’s going to have blinkers on and hopefully be a little more focused if he happens to get in tight anywhere,” Hughes said.

Storm Shooter may benefit from being drawn in post 6.