Ice Princess hoping to use Gazelle as stepping-stone to Kentucky Oaks

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The New York-bred Ice Princess will try to earn her way into the Kentucky Oaks when she runs next in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gazelle Stakes here on April 4.

Ice Princess tuned up for the Gazelle with a 2 1/2-length victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Maddie May Stakes at Aqueduct. She covered the one-turn mile in 1:39.70 and earned a career-best 78 Beyer Speed Figure.

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Trainer Danny Gargan said he believes Ice Princess can be an open-company filly going 1 1/8 miles and farther and the Gazelle, at 1 1/8 miles, will give her the chance to prove that.

“I can’t wait to run her a mile and an eighth,” Gargan said. “The further she goes the better she’s going to get.”

◗ The Empire Racing Club celebrated its first winner on Sunday when Now and Again won a New York-bred maiden $25,000 claiming race by two lengths. The first-place purse was $18,150.

The Empire Racing Club is an initiative created by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association to let people enjoy horse ownership at a minimal cost.

Membership to the Empire Racing Club is $500 and the membership is limited to 200 parties.

Retired racecaller Tom Durkin serves as the managing partner of ERC.