Lady Luciano looks like a threat on the lead in stretch-out
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Lone speed is always dangerous – especially over Aqueduct’s inner track – and Lady Luciano looks as though she could be loose on the lead in Friday’s $59,000 allowance feature for New York-bred fillies and mares at a mile and 70 yards.
Lady Luciano is only 3 for 25, but all three wins have come in two-turn races over the inner track. In fact, her overall record over the inner track is 3-3-2 from 10 starts. She is 0-2-2 from 15 starts elsewhere.
One of Lady Luciano’s victories came when she was stretching out in distance after sprinting, which is exactly what she is doing Friday. Last year, Lady Luciano finished third behind Court Dancer – winner of Sunday’s Broadway Stakes – in a six-furlong race before recording a front-running victory going a mile and 70 yards. She came back 24 days later to win a New York-bred allowance at mile over a muddy inner track
Lady Luciano is winless in seven starts since, but did finish second sprinting at this condition on Jan. 7.
Lady Luciano, trained by John Toscano Jr., will break from post 3 under Kendrick Carmouche. The Toscano-Carmouche tandem is 3-3-3 from 11 inner-track starts.
Bella Joy, a clear second at this condition at this distance on Jan. 8, and Literata, who goes first off the claim for leading trainer Rudy Rodriguez, are the main threats.
KEY CONTENDERS
Lady Luciano, by Frost Giant
Last 3 Beyers: 74-72-64
◗ She goes from sprint to a route, which proved successful in a starter allowance here 50 weeks ago.
◗ She also finished second to the ultimate horse for course, Storied Lady, when going from sprint to route over the inner track in 2014.
◗ Over the last two years, Toscano is just 2 for 43 going sprint to route, with Lady Luciano having one of the two wins.
Bella Joy, by Kitten’s Joy
Last 3 Beyers: 76-73-67
◗ Though bred for turf, her better races have come on the dirt, including a 9 1/4-length score in a first-level statebred allowance on Dec. 9.
◗ Most recently, she finished second, beaten seven lengths by In Spite of Mama, but was 8 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Jc’s Shooting Star, who is also in this field.
◗ Trainer Lon Wiggins said Bella Joy had a bout of colic a few weeks before her last race and “that had to take a little out of her.”
“She’s training really, really good now,” he said.
◗ She has tactical speed to lay close to Lady Luciano early.
“She never breaks really sharp, but it doesn’t take her long to get into the race,” Wiggins said.
Literata, by Read the Footnotes
Last 3 Beyers: 72-78-68
◗ She goes first off the claim for the meet’s leading trainer, Rudy Rodriguez, who stretches her out from a sprint to a route.
◗ Over the last three years, Rodriguez is 5 for 17 stretching out first off the claim, with a $2.01 return on investment.