Gold Panda should improve off last and get right trip; $288,843 pick six carryover awaits
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When Charlton Baker brought Gold Panda back to the races off a nine-week layoff on Nov. 6, he knew he was bringing a short horse to the 6 1/2-furlong race. After making the pace for most of the trip, Gold Panda was caught late by Market Alert, losing by a half-length.
“I knew he was short, but I thought he was good enough to overcome it if we didn’t use him early,” Baker said. “I knew there was no speed in the race but I didn’t want to be on the lead.”
Friday, Gold Panda should be fitter and seems well positioned to get a stalking trip when he runs back in a New York-bred second-level allowance/optional $80,000 claimer, the feature on Aqueduct’s 10-race program. First post is 11:50 a.m.
Friday's card also will feature a pick six carryover of $288,843 after the wager went unhit for a second consecutive card on Thursday.
Gold Panda, a 3-year-old gelding by Goldencents, won two races in a 16-day period this summer at Saratoga. In his statebred first-level allowance win, Gold Panda came from off the pace, beating Big Bobby, a horse who came back to win and who is in this spot. It was that stalking style that Baker would like to see jockey Manny Franco employ from the outside post Friday.
“He likes to lay off horses, that’s his style, he wants to be comfortable, he doesn’t want to be rushed,” Baker said. “I also think he’s a horse that’s going to be better going longer. He gallops out too good not to go longer.”
Big Bobby, drawn one slot inside of Gold Panda, figures to look for a similar off-the-pace trip under Joel Rosario.
Winners Laugh is returning from a six-month layoff. A 4-year-old ridgling by Broken Vow, Winners Laugh is a confirmed front-runner who won his career debut in that manner here last March. A terrible start made his last-place finish in the Affirmed Success Stakes at Belmont in April a throwout. He came back to win a New York-bred allowance before finishing third, 14 lengths behind Bankit, in the Commentator Stakes going a mile on May 31 at Belmont.
Trainer Horacio DePaz said Winners Laugh was found to have bone bruising after the Commentator and was given a break.
“I wouldn’t tell you he’s necessarily tightened up, but he’s ready enough to get started,” DePaz said. “Getting him a race will definitely benefit him.”
Up front, Winners Laugh will likely have company in the form of Steam Engine, who breaks from the rail under Kendrick Carmouche in his first try off the claim for Linda Rice. Steam Engine is back in for the same $45,000 tag for which Rice haltered him on Oct. 3.
Money in the Bank brings a five-race winning streak into this for trainer Chris Englehart. The run includes an off-the-turf allowance win at Saratoga in July. He has not run since winning an optional-claiming race on Sept. 27 at Finger Lakes.
Englehart also runs Saratoga Pal, who is winless in two starts in this condition.
Bronx Bomber, second in this condition two back before running last in the Hudson Handicap on Empire Showcase Day, completes the field.