Hot Danger has shown knack for winning

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Ramon Dominguez appears poised for a big afternoon Thursday as he rides contenders in every race, including six morning-line favorites.

One of the favorites he doesn’t ride is Hot Danger, the 2-1 choice over six rivals in race 8, a $41,000 first-level allowance for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies at a mile and 70 yards.

Hot Danger was pinched back at the break and rallied five wide in her sprint debut for Gary Contessa, and then stretched out for a two-turn maiden victory three weeks later under Eddie Castro, who has the return call.

Castro had to tap on the brakes with Hot Danger nearing the stretch when a rival out-moved them on the outside, but she rebroke to take command in the stretch and drew clear despite lugging in a bit greenly from right-hand pressure.

“[Mike] Luzzi put her in tight behind heels, which is what he was supposed to do,” Contessa recalled of the eventual runner-up, Lady On the Run. “When a young horse gets stopped like that at the three-eighths pole, you’re never quite sure what will happen, but she overcame adversity. She seemed in her training like she would handle two turns, and I thought, ‘If she’s ever going to get two turns, this is the right group.’ She’s trained well since then, too, so maybe we’ll get lucky again.”

Social Statement, the 3-1 second choice with Dominguez, stumbled badly at the start when claimed by Rick Dutrow Jr. back on Dec. 8. Three starts earlier, she earned this field’s top Beyer Speed Figure wiring an off-the-turfer at Belmont Park.

Fortheloveof Anna, Life’s Measure, Nice Stuff and Nice Stuff emerge from last-out victories. Nice Stuff is trained by Bruce Brown, who also sends out Kitty’s Thunder, claimed from a wide trip on Calder turf.

Lady Maureen, in the money seven of eight sprints, stretches out for Dominic Galluscio.

The day’s two richest races – a $43,000 maiden special-weight mile (race 3), and a $42,000 starter allowance mile (race 7) – were both originally scheduled for last Friday. Dominguez rides the morning-line choice in each: Smokin’ Cat in race 3; and Indian Blossom in race 7.

The six older maidens in race 3 sold for $3,165,000 million combined, with Bakhoor and Savannah Bay topping the list at $1.2 million apiece.