Gargan spacing out his runners, but when he enters, look out
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Danny Gargan has only run three horses in November, but they’ve all won.
Sunday, the final day of the month, Gargan has two runners entered at Aqueduct and at least one of them, Man in Finance, figures to go off favored in a second-level allowance/optional $45,000 claiming event for New York-breds, the co-feature on a nine-race card. There is also a New York-bred second-level allowance/optional $45,000 claimer for fillies and mares earlier on the card.
All three of Gargan’s runners – and winners – in November have come at Aqueduct. Gargan did have two horses entered in Saturday’s third race at Gulfstream.
Man in Finance gave Gargan his last winner in October when he took a first-level allowance for New York-breds by three-quarters of a length. Under Kendrick Carmouche, Man in Finance rallied five wide in the stretch and persevered past the leaders to get his second win from four career starts.
Man in Finance was the third next-out winner from an Aug. 24 allowance race at Saratoga in which he finished second as the 3-5 favorite. That race was the first for Man in Finance since he finished fourth in the Notebook Stakes at Aqueduct nine months earlier. Gargan said Man in Finance chipped an ankle in the Notebook, precipitating the lengthy layoff.
“If he didn’t do that, he was going to be a big-time horse,” Gargan said.
Gargan felt in his first race back, Man in Finance moved a little too soon under Carmouche and “got a little tired,” he said.
In his most recent race, Man in Finance got a more patient ride and benefited from a fast early pace, something that could be in play Sunday.
Sunday’s eight-horse field does appear to have plenty of speed in it, which should allow Man in Finance to get a stalking trip under Carmouche. Man in Finance breaks from the rail.
“He always breaks fast. He’ll probably sit third or fourth and Kendrick will able to work his way to the outside and hopefully he can run them down,” Gargan said.
The speed in the race is likely to include Tall Paul, whose last dirt race at Aqueduct was in September 2024 when he won an allowance race; Clancy Fancy, who comes off an allowance win at Finger Lakes; What’s Up Bro, who won this condition in Saratoga in August on the front end; and Factually Correct.
Yo Banana Boy, second in this condition in his last two starts, and Braciole, 0 for 6 in this condition, are the other closers in the field.
Earlier on the card, Gargan sends out the 2-year-old first-time starter Final Joke in a maiden race open to horses who sold for $60,000 or less or who did not meet their reserve at the price. Final Joke, a son of Practical Joke, sold for $55,000 at the Timonium 2-year-old-in-training sale in May.
Gargan noted that Final Joke was the workmate of Treadstone, who won a maiden auction race first time out at Aqueduct last Sunday.
“I think [Treadstone] is a little better than he is right now, but he’s all right,” Gargan said. “He could win or he could be fourth.”
The condition of the maiden race also includes an optional $75,000 tag. Tinseltown, a 2-year-old son of City of Light who brought $250,000 at auction, is in for the tag. The first-time starter Game for It, by Known Agenda, shows a series of strong workouts for his debut.
◗ Reylu Gutierrez, who won 44 races from just 141 mounts at the recently concluded Finger Lakes meet, plans to ride regularly at Aqueduct this winter beginning with Thursday’s card.
Gutierrez spent last winter at Gulfstream Park and the previous winter at Fair Grounds. He last rode regularly at Aqueduct in 2019-20. At the 2018-19 Aqueduct winter meet, Gutierrez won 46 races, good enough for fifth in the standings.
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