Highway Harmony sets course record in winning final Aqueduct stakes race
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Highway Harmony left her forever mark on Aqueduct in winning Sunday’s $150,000 John Hettinger Stakes for New York-bred females, running the six furlongs in a course-record 1:06.44 in the final stakes race to be run here.
Roaring out of the gate under Edgard Zayas, Highway Harmony ran a quarter in 21.33 seconds, a half-mile in 42.89 and five furlongs in 54.37 en route to that final time, which eclipsed the record of 1:06.73 set by Outlaw Kid two years ago.
Sunday was the final card of racing at Aqueduct after a 132-year run.
Sweet Brown Sugar chased Highway Harmony, trained by Amelia Green, from the outset and finished second, 3 1/4 lengths clear of Soloshot, also trained by Green. With the Angels, who went off the favorite despite having never raced on turf, finished fourth, followed by Spinning Colors, Mz Big Bucks and Sunday Girl. Silsbee and Blossoming Erudite scratched.
Highway Harmony, a 6-year-old daughter of Mo Town, was making her first start since April 16 and first since she was purchased for $50,000 out of a digital sale by Pat and Joe Veasey’s Lucky Hat Racing and turned over to Green. Previously trained by Jorge Abreu, Highway Harmony has now won four consecutive races. She returned $9.42 to win Sunday.
Green has enjoyed many memorable moments at Aqueduct as part of Todd Pletcher’s team, galloping the likes of champions Malathaat, who won the Demoiselle here, and Life Is Good, who won the Grade 1 Woodward here. But she left Aqueduct with her own special memory.
“Definitely surreal,” Green said about winning the final stakes at Aqueduct. “A couple of years ago, I guess I didn’t know I would be training, so to be training and winning the last stakes at Aqueduct and in a way like that is pretty cool,” Green said.
Green said she was a little nervous watching the fractions flash on the teletimer.
“I thought she was going pretty quick and he had to use her quite a bit to get the lead in the first place, so you always question that last eighth of a mile,” Green said. “The stretch seemed extra long today, longer than normal, but Edgard rode her great.”
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