Life in Shambles faces five in Gravesend

The $100,000 Gravesend at Aqueduct on Sunday has drawn a competitive group of six sprinters, including three from the Grade 3 Fall Highweight on Thanksgiving Day.

Life in Shambles, Always Sunshine, and Runaway Lute finished first, third, and fifth in the six-horse Fall Highweight. They are joined in the six-furlong Gravesend by Gold for the King, coming off a 9 1/4-length win in the Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Series, and Recruiting Ready and Skyler’s Scramjet, who will be making their first start since June.

The Fall Highweight was the first stakes win for the 7-year-old Life in Shambles, a hardened veteran with 10 wins from 41 starts. He fell into a perfect trip, stalking a pace battle between Heartwood and Always Sunshine, who reeled off fractions of 22.69, 46.27, and 58.76 seconds.

Life in Shambles dug in resolutely to make up 1 1/2 lengths through a slow 13.31-second final furlong and score by three-quarters of a length over Heartwood. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Always Sunshine.

Life in Shambles is 2 for 3 since being claimed for $62,500 in July by trainer Jason Servis.

Always Sunshine redeemed himself in the Fall Highweight for poor performances in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and De Francis Dash. Jose Ortiz subbed in the Fall Highweight for Frankie Pennington, whose parents were visiting from Texas. Pennington has been aboard for seven of Always Sunshine’s eight wins, and he rides on Sunday.

Although Always Sunshine ended up on the lead in the Fall Highweight, he is more likely to take up a stalking position in the Gravesend, according to trainer Ned Allard.

“I was hoping someone else would go to the front and he could sit off it, but Jose told me it seemed nobody wanted the lead, so he went for it,” Allard said. “I hope he breaks good Sunday, can settle, and then go get them. Nobody knows him better than Frankie.”

Runaway Lute, the 7-5 Fall Highweight favorite, raced inside Life in Shambles early but backed up on the turn and was beaten 5 1/2 lengths. Trainer Gary Contessa said Runaway Lute became agitated in the paddock, which may have impacted his performance. Contessa shipped Runaway Lute to Aqueduct earlier this week so he could acclimate.

Gold for the King finished second by three-quarters of a length to Runaway Lute as the 2-1 favorite in the New York-bred Hudson Handicap at Belmont Park prior to his Stallion Series romp. He has not raced at six furlongs since June 2017 and will be shortening up from seven furlongs for trainer Charlton Baker.

Joel Rosario will be in from Florida for the mount.

Skyler’s Scramjet will be making his first start in 189 days. He lost weight after his sixth-place finish in the Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park in June and was rested by Michelle Nevin. He has worked eight times at Aqueduct since Nov. 1.

In the last five years, Nevin is 10 for 41 (24 percent) with horses returning from layoffs of between 160 and 220 days. In November, she won an Aqueduct maiden race with Le General, who had not raced in 169 days.

Recruiting Ready will be making his first start since tiring to finish sixth in the Grade 2 True North at Belmont in June. He is very fast and will be making his first start for trainer Stanley Hough, who has shipped him in from Florida.

Recruiting Ready didn’t work from early July until early November but has six recorded drills since, including two five-furlong bullets this month.

:: Want to get the latest news with your past performances? Try DRF’s new digital PPs