Elegant Zip, Shelley Ann battle again in Maddie May

The one-mile East View Stakes for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies at Aqueduct in December has turned into a key race. The clear-cut winner, Espresso Shot, came back to win the $257,000 Busher; runner-up Shelley Ann won an optional claimer in her next start; and Elegant Zip, who came up a head short of catching Shelley Ann in the East View, was freshened and returned March 1 to score over optional-claiming company.

On Sunday, Elegant Zip and Shelley Ann will meet again in the $100,000 Maddie May, a mile race for statebred 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct that has drawn a field of 10. Although there isn’t a stakes winner in the bunch, the competitive lineup also includes Wadadli Princess, Flush, and Maiden Beauty, the second- through fourth-place finishers in the six-furlong Franklin Square Stakes.

Elegant Zip was purchased by trainer David Donk and partners after bidding on her stopped at $30,000 and she failed to meet her reserve price at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale in Kentucky. She has put together a 7-2-2-2 record while earning $175,000. Her ability to settle off the pace and then finish gives her the look of a natural distance runner.

“She’s been a pleasant surprise,” Donk said. “She’s run some good races and she’s run well at a mile.”

Donk backed off her training after the East View and gave her a breather.

“She’d had a pretty solid campaign, and in winter, with the weather, we try to be a little careful,” Donk said. “I tried not to do too much with her. I think she benefited from it. She may have been a little bit short for her last race.”

In her comeback, Elegant Zip tracked debut winner Intoxicologist – who also is entered in the Maddie May – and then edged away in the stretch to win by 1 1/2 lengths under Dylan Davis. Despite winning, Donk was not totally pleased with her effort and has received permission from the stewards to add blinkers to Elegant Zip’s equipment Sunday.

“We thought she was a little better than that,” Donk said. “Maybe she wasn’t quite as focused as she could have been. Dylan thought blinkers might help and we put them on in the morning. So right or wrong we are going to try them in the race.”

Shelley Ann, who is trained by Jimmy Jerkens, will be making her first start in nine weeks. She was scratched from the March 9 Busher.

Shelley Ann has more early speed than Elegant Zip and figures to be forwardly placed.

Flush pressed front-running winner Stonesintheroad in the Franklin Square and could set the pace in the Maddie May as she stretches out from six furlongs.

Wadadli Princess has finished full of run in her last two starts and nailed Flush for second by a nose in the Franklin Square. Trained by Pat Kelly, she seems well suited for a mile.

Maiden Beauty, who was second-best to Shelley Ann in her January optional-claiming win, is one of three fillies in the race for trainer Gary Contessa.