Fillies come from far and wide for Astoria
ELMONT, N.Y. – Six juvenile fillies have come from far and wide for Thursday’s 104th running of the Astoria, the first of 17 stakes to be run at Belmont Park through Saturday.
The 5 1/2-furlong Astoria is race 3 on an eight-race program and leads off a pick six with a $75,000-guaranteed pool and a $44,438 carryover left over from Sunday. Post time is 1:52 p.m. Eastern.
Although the Astoria has been around for more than a century, it was discontinued after 2008 and brought back only last year, when Todd Pletcher sent out Fashion Alert ($5.90) to win it as a first-time starter. Pletcher, whose recent tear has resulted in a 19-for-39 meet record and a four-win lead atop the trainers’ standings, tries to win it again with another newbie, Tonasah. She is a $250,000 yearling buy whose half-sister Quantum Miss was a four-time sprint stakes winner, including in the Grade 3 Cicada at Aqueduct.
There are reasons why the five experienced runners are coming from out of town – a quarter-million of them, in fact. The Astoria’s purse has received a $150,000 boost from last year’s $100,000, as has Friday’s Tremont for 2-year-olds.
“We are building our 2-year-old program out in a different direction and are pleased to offer the Tremont and Astoria as part of our new Belmont Stakes Racing Festival,” said Martin Panza, the senior vice president of racing operations for the New York Racing Association. “With the increase in purses, these are two of the strongest juvenile races in the country in this time frame.”
One Minute (Churchill Downs), Moment Is Right (Gulfstream Park), Decked Out (Santa Anita), and Little Cherie (Keeneland) come off convincing maiden wins, while La Nina (Pimlico) comes off a second against males on turf.
KEY CONTENDERS, Race 3
One Minute (Beyers: 58-60)
◗ Purchased and turned over to Steve Asmussen after a blowout win at even-money.
Moment Is Right
◗ Picks up 15 pounds after wiring males at Gulfstream under a triple-bug apprentice jockey.
◗ Half-brother Ghareeb ran a 104 Beyer Speed Figure in winning an optional claimer this year.
◗ She is cross-entered in Friday’s Tremont, but trainer Wesley Ward said she will run Thursday.
Decked Out (Beyer: 67)
◗ Half-sister to stakes-winning sprinter Morrow Cove overcame a slow start to win her debut going away for the Desormeaux brothers, trainer Keith and jockey Kent.
Was originally targeting the $125,000 Landaluce at her Santa Anita base June 21.
Little Cherie
◗ Debut win at Keeneland came at the expense of Back At the Ranch, subsequently a maiden winner at Belmont and slated to run at Royal Ascot.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Tonasah. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 3-2-1-0 with a $3.53 ROI over the past five years with 2-year-olds debuting in non-graded stakes races. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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