Brown and Brant taking two shots
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The Chad Brown-trained, Peter Brant-owned entry of Arina and Yukata head a six-horse field of fillies and mares entered in a second-level allowance/optional $62,500 claiming race on turf, one of four allowance events on the nine-race Friday card at Aqueduct.
While Arina has already made a start in the U.S, a seventh-place finish in this condition at Gulfstream Park last month, Yukata will be making her U.S. debut and first start since June in this 1 1/16-mile race on the outer turf. Yukata last raced in the Group 1 Prix de Diane in France, finishing 14 lengths behind winner Nashwa, who would go on to win the Group 1 Nassau Stakes, run second in the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera, and finish fourth as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last November at Keeneland.
Yukata, by Galileo, is a half-sister to Kuramata, who in 2021 came off a 14-month layoff to win her U.S. debut for Brown and Brant, a maiden race at Tampa Bay Downs, before winning a first-level allowance at Aqueduct that April. Last year, Kuramata won the Oceanport Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Yukata shows eight works, four on turf, at the Payson Park training center in Florida for her return. Manny Franco is named to ride.
Arina, a daughter of Soldier Hollow, was a Group 3 winner in Germany last July before finishing third in an allowance in Germany in August. On March 25, sent off the 6-5 favorite at Gulfstream, Arina raced near the back of the pack and didn’t do much running, finishing seventh, 4 1/4 lengths behind front-running winner Traffic Song.
Brown is taking the blinkers off Arina on Friday. Jose Ortiz rides.
There does not appear to be much speed in this compact field, which will likely benefit Canisy, whose last win came in front-running fashion last July at Saratoga. Since then, Canisy competed in three stakes, running sixth in the Riskaverse, fifth in the Grade 3 Jockey Club Oaks, and sixth in the Grade 2 Sands Point, her most recent start, last Oct. 15.
“I’m happy with the filly but this is not the final race,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “It’s her first race and she will probably improve from the race.”
Wonka, trained by Bill Mott, finished fifth in the same race Arina finished seventh on March 25 at Gulfstream. Her most recent win came in January at Gulfstream, when she raced an up-close second under Junior Alvarado, who rides her Friday.
Bramble Bay was beaten a nose the last time she raced at Aqueduct. She has been freshened since a sixth-place finish in a Jan. 26 allowance at Gulfstream. Dylan Davis rides for Mike Maker.
Toned Up, like Bramble Bay in for the $62,500 tag, scratched out of Sunday’s Plenty of Grace Stakes for this spot.
This allowance goes as race 2 on a program that begins at 1:20 p.m.
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