Donk looks to continue Aqueduct roll with Big Package

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer David Donk has won with three of his last five starters at Aqueduct, momentum he hopes carries into Wednesday’s featured first-level/optional $80,000 claiming turf sprint for 2-year-olds where he sends out Big Package.

Weather permitting – and it looks promising – there are four turf races scheduled for Wednesday’s card. This six-furlong race will become a more wide-open affair with the expected scratch of Chimney Rock, the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint runner-up. Kirk Wycoff, the managing partner of Three Diamonds Farm, which owns Chimney Rock, said that horse will be pointed to a Louisiana-bred race at Fair Grounds in mid-December. Three Diamonds and trainer Mike Maker will still be represented by Turbo Drive, who is coming off a New York-bred maiden victory on Nov. 2 at Aqueduct.

Mo Ready, another contender, is entered back to run in Thursday’s $100,000 Central Park Stakes here, so he is a question mark for Wednesday.

In his Oct. 12 New York-bred maiden win, Big Package had to wait for an opening before splitting horses inside the eighth pole and drawing away decisively to beat Turbo Drive by 1 1/4 lengths. Big Package was one of four next-out winners to emerge from a Sept. 15 maiden dirt race, where he finished sixth, beaten 12 1/4 lengths.

“I was slightly disappointed in his race first time, even though I know it was a really, really good maiden race,” Donk said. “I took advantage of the opportunity to try him on the on the turf, even though there isn’t really much turf pedigree in his family. I thought he was pretty impressive. He was in trouble most of the stretch.”

Provided the race stays on turf, the field will scratch down to at least eight with Chimney Rock and main-track-only entrant Three Jokers withdrawing. If the turf is deemed unusable for some reason, Three Jokers would become the horse to beat on dirt.

Big Package will break from post 8 under Manny Franco, who is coming off a three-win afternoon on Sunday.

After three runs at a mile or farther, Maxwell Esquire will shorten up to six furlongs on Wednesday. Trainer Christophe Clement said he would have preferred to run him seven furlongs or a mile but also wanted “somewhere easier than a stakes” before giving Maxwell Esquire a winter break.

Asked about the shorter distance, Clement said: “He showed a lot of speed in his last race. I think we’re okay.”