Consumer Spending turns tables on Pizza Bianca in Memories of Silver

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Consumer Spending, beaten 1 3/4 lengths by Pizza Bianca in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar, flipped the script on Sunday, running by Pizza Bianca in deep stretch to win Sunday’s $100,000 Memories of Silver Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by three-quarters of a length on closing day of the Aqueduct spring meet.

Sail By, who finished 13th in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, finished third Sunday and was followed in the order of finish by Miss You Ella, Alilttleloveandluck and On Alert.

The victory gave trainer Chad Brown, owner Seth Klarman and jockey Manny Franco a sweep of the Aqueduct turf stakes over the weekend as they also won Saturday’s $100,000 Woodhaven for 3-year-old males with Unanimous Consent.

Brown, who finished as Aqueduct’s leading trainer with 13 wins, loved the ride Franco gave Consumer Spending, who sat fifth and followed Pizza Bianca, who, under Jose Ortiz, was fourth early. Sail By set the pace, stalked by Alittleloveandluck.

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Turning for home, Pizza Bianca swung three wide while Consumer Spending went four wide. Consumer Spending tackled Pizza Bianca at the sixteenth pole and edged clear for the victory.

“I really had a great trip, I just followed the favorite all the way around, I was able to save ground into the first turn, then on the backside I followed the right target,” Franco said. “When he moved I kind of go with him and when my filly got clear she took off.”

Consumer Spending, a daughter of More Than Ready who also won the Selima Stakes last fall at Laurel Park, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.59 on firm turf and returned $6.90 to win as the second choice.

“When Consumer Spending drew alongside [Pizza Bianca] they were two fillies off a layoff that are getting ready to throw down,” Brown said. “I didn’t know how it would end up, I just knew my horse was going to run well today.”

Brown said Franco’s rides in the two turf stakes over the weekend were emblematic of how he’s ridden all meet and he plans to continue to use him at the Belmont meet that begins Thursday.

“He’s riding super this kid,” Brown said. “I’m so proud of him. I’m impressed with him, he’s constantly trying to hone his skills and get better.”

Meanwhile, trainer Christophe Clement said he felt Pizza Bianca had a good trip Sunday and was just second-best in the Memories of Silver.

“I thought she ran well and just got beat,” Clement said. “She was very settled. I don’t think she was perfectly, perfectly, perfectly tight, but she looked great and we did get beat by a nice filly. We’ll live to fight again.”

Galaxina ($50.50) upsets NYSS

In a race where heavily favored Yo Cuz stumbled soon after the start, 24-1 longshot Galaxina outfinished Starship Laoban by a length to win the $200,000 Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Bank on Anna finished third while Yo Cuz, the 1-5 favorite off three straight stakes victories, trudged home fourth as the 1-5 favorite under Jose Ortiz. Celebrity News and Kisses for Emily completed the order of finish. Gris Tormenta scratched.

With the expected pacesetter Yo Cuz at the back of the pack after a stumbling start, Starship Laoban, under Ruben Silvera, set the pace stalked by Galaxina and Trevor McCarthy.

Galaxina confronted Starship Laoban inside the eighth pole, got past her at the sixteenth pole and gradually drew clear for the one-length score.

Galaxina, a daughter of Giant Surprise owned by Ascendant Farms and trained by James Bond, covered the 6 1/2 furlongs on dirt in 1:18.08 and returned $50.50.

“She warmed up really well and broke really sharp, said McCarthy, who won Saturday’s $200,000 Times Square division of the NYSS aboard 9-1 shot Kazmike, who upset 2-5 fave Barese. “I was able to get her to turn off nice and sit second. When she made that burst turning for home, she gave me everything she had.”

Meanwhile Yo Cuz did step on herself, creating a cut on her left foreleg, according to Ortiz.

“She stumbled and she could never recover,” Ortiz said. “She grabbed herself.”