Majestic Affair dominant in Jazil victory

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Financial Modeling won the Queens County Stakes at Aqueduct last month but was quickly whisked away to south Florida to try to join the elite of the older male division.

No worries. In Majestic Affair, trainer Chad Brown had a more-than-suitable replacement to handle New York’s watered-down older male division.

Majestic Affair, a multiple sprint stakes winner last winter, made it 2 for 2 around two turns Saturday with a dominant 3 1/4-length, front-running score in the $125,000 Jazil Stakes at Aqueduct.

Kendrick Carmouche hustled Majestic Affair away from the gate, was allowed to set pedestrian fractions while receiving only token pressure from Day of Fury, then drew away from the field in the stretch.

Royal Posse, who was wide throughout, settled for second, 3 1/2 lengths clear of Lucky Lotto. He was followed in order by Kid Cruz, the 2-1 favorite, Stormin Monarcho, Turco Bravo, and Day of Fury.

Majestic Affair, a 4-year-old gelding by Majesticperfection owned by Thomas Coleman and Doheny Racing Stable, won for the sixth time in 11 starts.

Until last month, Majestic Affair had not run beyond seven furlongs. Last January, he won the Fred “Cappy” Capossela Stakes going six furlongs here and the Frank Whiteley Jr. Stakes going seven furlongs at Laurel.

On Dec. 16, Majestic Affair made his two-turn debut, crossing the finish line second, a neck behind the front-running Lucky Lotto, who was disqualified for interference.

On Saturday, with Lucky Lotto and Day of Fury in the field, it appeared as though Majestic Affair would again come from off the pace. But Carmouche hustled Majestic Affair out of the gate and maintained a one-length advantage over Day of Fury through a quarter in 24.19 seconds and a half-mile in 48.88.

At the five-sixteenths pole, Majestic Affair spurted away from Day of Fury and opened up a five-length lead at the eighth pole. He never was seriously threatened through the lane.

Majestic Affair covered the mile and 70 yards in 1:42.08 and returned $9.30 as the third choice.

“Chad had wanted him to get good early forward position – if he made the lead, great,” said Cherie DeVaux, Brown’s New York assistant. “I’m surprised he made it up there uncontested. I thought Day of Fury would have gone with him, but he didn’t.”

Though Carmouche had Majestic Affair in a stalking position last time, he said he could have put him on the lead as he did Saturday.

“Last time, he broke sharp, but I let the other horse go,” Carmouche said. “I knew Chad would have him sharper today, second time going long. I just had to have him ready in the gate. As you could see, he left there running today.”

** With Aqueduct open Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the track will be dark Tuesday through Thursday.