Gravesend helps send track into winter break

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Racing on this circuit will take a 10-day hiatus at the conclusion of Sunday’s card. But getaway day will not be a quick one.

Following the cancellation of Thursday’s card due to high winds and cold, there will be an 11-race program on Sunday commencing at 11:20 a.m. Eastern. The card will include the $100,000 Gravesend and the $150,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes for juvenile fillies.

Stallwalkin’ Dude, beaten by longshot Heaven’s Runway in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap, tops the field of eight entered in the Gravesend at six furlongs. Prior to the Fall Highweight, Stallwalkin’ Dude won the Grade 3 Bold Ruler at Belmont.

Heaven’s Runway was trained by Rudy Rodriguez. While Heaven’s Runway will stay in the barn Saturday, Rodriguez will send out the trio of All Star Red, Drama King, and Summer Revolution in the Gravesend.

All Star Red will get blinkers added after finishing sixth in the Fall Highweight. Drama King returns to the inner track, where he won stakes sprinting and routing last winter. Summer Revolution will try six furlongs for the first time. He won going seven furlongs in his first two starts before running fourth in the King’s Bishop and subsequently stretching out unsuccessfully.

Others entered in the Gravesend are Green Gratto, last year’s Gravesend winner; Life in Shambles; Loki’s Vengeance; and Sprint to the Sky, who was supplemented to the race.

In the Fifth Avenue, Filibustin will seek her fourth consecutive victory to begin her career. She faces five rivals in the six-furlong race, restricted to 2-year-old females by registered New York stallions. Filibustin, a son of Bustin Stones owned by Alan Cook and trained by Greg Sacco, won a maiden $40,000 claimer at Monmouth and then came to New York to post victories in the Joseph A. Gimma at Belmont and the Key Cents at Aqueduct.

Her competition includes first-out winner Catcher in the Sky, Toni Tools, Bliss to You, Passporttovictory, and Gonna Be Morgan.

◗ Cornelio Velasquez, who has been riding in Saudi Arabia the last few months, will return to New York to start riding at Aqueduct beginning Dec. 29. He will be represented by Jim Riccio Jr., who also books mounts for Jose Ortiz. Riccio had recently started working for Alan Garcia, who will need a new agent.