Defection leaves Chocolate Gelato huge favorite in redrawn Jersey Girl
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ELMONT, N.Y. – No race was impacted more by the cancellation of Thursday’s program at Belmont Park due to poor air quality caused by the wildfires in Canada than the $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes. The race lost one of its two star attractions, likely favorite Red Carpet Ready, after trainer Rusty Arnold opted not to enter his Grade 2-winning filly back when the stakes for 3-year-old fillies was redrawn for Sunday.
Arnold emphasized that Red Carpet Ready, who upset the odds-on Munnys Gold in the Grade 2 Eight Belles at Churchill Downs a month earlier, was fine and that he would have run his filly had the Jersey Girl gone off as scheduled on Thursday. But the cancellation capped off a series of somewhat odd events that impacted Arnold’s plans for Red Carpet Ready not once but twice within a one-week period and gave the veteran horseman what he described as “bad vibes.”
With Red Carpet Ready out, the Todd Pletcher-trained Grade 1 winner Chocolate Gelato will go postward a prohibitive favorite in the Jersey Girl, which lost a second starter when Girl Trouble was not re-entered as well on Thursday. That leaves a field of just five fillies that also includes Wildhawk, Unified Alliance, Aunt Becca, and L Street Lady.
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Chocolate Gelato has not raced since finishing 12th, beaten 14 lengths, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies seven months ago. In her previous start, she rallied to win the one-mile, Grade 1 Frizette over a sloppy track at Aqueduct. The victory was the second in four starts for the daughter of Practical Joke, who had won her maiden by 8 1/2 lengths while earning a 92 Beyer Speed Figure going six furlongs last summer at Saratoga.
“She had a couple of little issues after the Breeders’ Cup, so we gave her a little time and tried to put a little weight on her,” Pletcher said. “She’s training well right now and we’re looking to get her started again.
“Obviously, Red Carpet Ready coming out changed the complexion of the race quite a bit. I don’t think with her out it will change our strategy any. She’s got tactical speed, so we’ll just play it off the break.”
As for Pletcher losing the opportunity to avenge Red Carpet Ready’s victory over his Munnys Gold in the Eight Belles, he said, “I’m sure we’ll get to run against her again down the road.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. will again ride Chocolate Gelato, who will carry high weight of 122 pounds under the allowance conditions of the Jersey Girl.
Aunt Becca and Unified Alliance should assure an honest pace scenario, with both at their best when on the lead. Aunt Becca has won two of her three previous starts in gate-to-wire fashion. Unified Alliance led at every call en route to a one-sided, 10 1/4-length allowance win at Parx Racing going seven furlongs on April 3.
L Street Lady also figures forwardly placed if she breaks cleaner than she did in her previous outing when away slow from the rail before finishing an even-paced third in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness three weeks earlier at Pimlico.
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