Brown hopes patience pays off for Dr Ardito

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown demonstrated with Goodnight Olive, the presumptive champion female sprinter, that good things can happen to horses who have patient owners and are given ample time to recover from infirmities. Brown is hoping for similar positive results, perhaps on a smaller scale, when he brings the talented New York-bred Dr Ardito back to the races Thursday in a second-level allowance/optional $62,500 claimer at Aqueduct.

In March 2021, Goodnight Olive finished second in her career debut. She didn’t race again until that October and – with two significant layoffs sprinkled in – Goodnight Olive won six consecutive races, including Grade 1 victories in the Ballerina at Saratoga and Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland last November.

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In February 2021, nine days before Goodnight Olive debuted in Florida, Dr Ardito finished second at Aqueduct in his career debut. After winning a New York-bred maiden race that April, he was away from the races for 10 months. Dr Ardito returned last February and won three consecutive allowance races – two for New York-breds and one against open company – before going to the sidelines following a victory in mid-May at Belmont Park.

“Had some ankle issues, needed time,” Brown said.

Thursday, Dr Ardito returns from a 249-day layoff seeking his fifth consecutive victory. With 14 workouts beginning Oct. 8 at Fair Hill, a training center in Maryland, Dr Ardito looks well prepared for his return in this seven-furlong race.

Manny Franco rides Dr Ardito from post 3.

Among the threats to Dr Ardito may be stablemate Nabokov, a 4-year-old son of Uncle Mo who returns from a two-month layoff. Though Nabokov has raced from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. Brown feels seven furlongs to a mile, around one turn, is likely his sweet spot.

Last September, he won a first-level allowance over this track going seven furlongs before finishing a clear second the first time he tried this condition on Nov. 6.

Dylan Davis rides Nabokov from post 6.

Saint Tapit, trained by Todd Pletcher, won around one turn in his first two starts before three unsuccessful performances going two turns. Thursday, he’s back in a one-turn race and may benefit from breaking from post 9 in this 10-horse field. Jose Lezcano rides.

Glory Road will step up in class after returning from a seven-month layoff with a solid victory in a $40,000 claimer. Eric Cancel rides for Orlando Noda.

On paper, there does appear to be ample speed to set things up for an off-the-pace runner. Potential pace players include Nuclear Option, shipping in from Parx off two straight wins; Gulfstream Way, who won a first-level allowance here shipping in from Churchill; and Going to the Lead, who is coupled with Gagetown for Lynn Cash.

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