Broadway win convinces Falcone to keep Kept Waiting on dirt

OZONE PARK, N.Y. -- Following two dominant victories on dirt in one week, Kept Waiting will remain racing over that surface for the foreseeable future, trainer Robert Falcone Jr. said.

After going 3 for 9 on turf to begin her career, Kept Waiting is 2 for 2 on dirt after winning Sunday’s $100,000 Broadway Stakes for New York-breds by 5 1/2 lengths. That win came one week after she captured an open-company allowance race by eight lengths. Kept Waiting, a 5-year-old daughter of Broken Vow, has won three consecutive races, a streak that began on Dec. 2 in a New York-bred turf allowance.

“I don’t think I’d look at the grass until she gets beat on the dirt,” Falcone said.

The only problem for Falcone could be finding suitable dirt races for Kept Waiting. The next true sprint stakes restricted to statebred females on this circuit isn’t until the $100,000 Dancin Renee going six furlongs at Belmont on June 26.

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Among the immediate open company options for Kept Waiting are the $100,000 Correction at six furlongs on March 12 and the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap going seven furlongs on April 9. After running her twice in one week, Falcone said he most likely would not run her back in the Correction. Falcone seemed inclined to look at the Distaff.

Falcone said what impressed him most about Sunday’s victory was how well Kept Waiting took the kickback of slop in her face. In her allowance win, she was kept relatively clean.

Kept Waiting’s victory was the 10th at the meet from 28 starters for Falcone. That ties him for fifth in the standings with Charlton Baker. Falcone also has five seconds and five thirds and his 71.42 percent in-the-money rate is the highest at the meet among trainers with at least five starters.

Falcone has two starters on Friday’s card including Afilada, a top contender in the opener, a $40,000 claiming race for 3-year-old female sprinters.

Pick six carryover Friday

When longshot Prince of Joy ($63) won Sunday’s finale, it created a pick six carryover of $46,486 into Friday’s card.

There is no racing at Aqueduct Thursday owing to a schedule that includes a rare Monday card on Presidents' Day.

There are eight races Friday so the pick six starts with race 3 (1:48 p.m.). There are at least seven betting interests in five of the six races.