Dr Disco gets test against open company at Aqueduct

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A pair of three-win days last week established Bruce Brown as the hottest stable on the grounds, momentum the trainer hopes carries over to Wednesday’s program when he sends out four runners on Aqueduct’s nine-race card, including the promising 3-year-old New York-bred Dr Disco in the afternoon’s feature race.

Brown went 3 for 3 on Thursday and 3 for 4 on Sunday to move into a three-way tie for sixth in the trainer standings, with 13 wins from 69 starters.

Two of Brown’s 13 wins at this meet have come courtesy of Dr Disco, a son of Disco Rico who will face his first test against open company in a first-level allowance going six furlongs. This $44,000 allowance brought together six 3-year-old sprinters from a pair of overnight stakes that failed to be carded.

“At some point, we have to test him,” Brown said Monday. “There’s definitely some decent horses in there.”

The key to Dr Disco passing this test is whether he can be successful tracking another horse. With horses such as Rift and Brother in Arms in the field, there is likely to be a lively early pace. After chasing the promising New York-bred Read the Contract around the track when finishing second in his debut, Dr Disco has won his last two races – both over the inner track – on the front end.

“His first race they were flying and he sat off that horse of Rick Violette’s and that horse just freaked that day,” Brown said. “He’s very kind. Now that he’s gotten some seasoning, he should be better. Nothing says to me that he won’t be able to sit. He goes fast on his own, but if another horse gets rolling, he’ll sit.”

David Cohen rides Dr Disco from post 5.

Rift, trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., won a swiftly run and productive maiden race over the inner track on Dec. 11 and then chased the promising Fort Hughes around the track when beaten 7 1/2 lengths in the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes. He will likely have to deal with some early pressure from Brother in Arms, who makes his 3-year-old debut after going 1 for 6 as a 2-year-old.

Mikeymikethebuldog, Harlan’s Hello, and Bambi Bound complete the field.

In the sixth race, Brown brings Full of Gut, a horse he claimed for $22,000, back in a $10,000 claimer for his first start since Sept. 22. In the seventh, Brown sends out Awesome Merger in a contentious first-level statebred race at six furlongs. In the ninth, Brown sends out longshot Ripleys Revenge in a maiden $16,000 claiming affair.