Friday turf feature has usual suspects
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Friday’s $72,000, first-level allowance feature at Aqueduct has everything one would expect from such a race at this time of year: a European import making its U.S. debut for Christophe Clement, a top 3-year-old filly prospect trained by Chad Brown, and a horse making its first start off a layoff for David Donk.
Graceful Grit, Mrs McDougal, and Chrysolite appear to be the main protagonists in the one-mile race for fillies and mares that goes as the eighth of nine on Friday’s program. Nine entered for turf, including One Penny Piece, who will scratch after developing a fever, trainer Phil Serpe said Wednesday. Three horses are entered to run in the unlikely event that the race is moved to the main track.
Clement already has won at this meet with a European shipper, Stellar Path, who took last Friday’s Plenty of Grace Stakes in her North American debut. Graceful Grit finished sixth, 2 3/4 lengths behind Stellar Path, in a listed stakes in France last year.
Brown has a barn full of good 3-year-old turf fillies, and Mrs McDougal was talented enough to win first time out before running fourth in this condition last out. The horse who beat her that day, Pine Needles, was scheduled to run in Thursday’s $100,000 Memories of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct.
Donk ran three horses on the grass last weekend off the layoff and came away with a win, a second, and a fourth. Chrysolite is a three-time winner – all against New York-breds – and faces open company in this spot.
Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Graceful Grit
◗ Went just 1 for 11 in France last year but did finish within 2 3/4 lengths of Stellar Path last fall.
“She’s been training well,” Clement said. “I don’t know if she would prefer firm or soft ground.”
Mrs McDougal (Last 2 Beyers: 74-73)
◗ Was talented enough to beat nine rivals by three lengths in her career debut at Gulfstream but appeared a little flat when beaten 2 1/4 lengths in her second start.
◗ Brown said he had Mrs McDougal entered in the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs but scratched due to a poor post draw. He said Mrs McDougal’s training schedule got a little messed up leading up to this race.
“We got out of rhythm a little bit, but since then, she’s trained nice,” Brown said. “Hopefully, we can get back on track.”
Chrysolite (Last 3 Beyers: 64-77-81)
◗ Had a pretty rigorous 3-year-old campaign, running 10 times and winning three. Her final three races came within a 36-day period when she won a second-level New York-bred race, ran fifth in the Ticonderoga, and then last in this same open condition.
◗ Shows a steady work tab for her return for Donk, who does quite well with horses returning from an extended layoff at Aqueduct.