Maker may have another trick up his sleeve
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Mike Maker and owners Paradise Farm and David Staudacher won Sunday’s feature at Aqueduct with Barese in the $100,000 Rego Park Stakes. For their next trick, they will try to take Thursday’s feature at Aqueduct when they send out Hanalei’s Houdini in a third-level/optional $80,000 claimer.
The one-mile race drew only a field of five, and while Green Light Go has name recognition, he doesn’t figure to offer much value off his recent second in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap.
Hanalei’s Houdini, a 6-year-old gelding by Jersey Town, is only 2 for his last 19 over the last two years. A popular commodity at the claim box, Hanalei’s Houdini is coming out of a second-place finish in the $125,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at Gulfstream Park, a 1 1/8-mile race where he broke from the outside in the 10-horse field, made the lead at the top of the lane, but couldn’t hold off Twelve Volt Man. Hanalei’s Houdini did finish 7 3/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field.
That was his first start off the $50,000 claim for Maker, who now sees fit to cut him back to a one-turn mile. He is in for the $80,000 claiming tag and will be ridden by Jose Lezcano.
At 2, Green Light Go won his first two starts including the Grade 2 Saratoga Special. Now 5, Green Light Go is just 1 for his last 8, having run for Jerry Hollendorfer and then Mike Doyle before being returned by Stronach Stables to Jerkens last fall. In the Fall Highweight, Green Light Go was on the chase from the outset and closed to be second, beaten a head by Hopeful Treasure.
Jerkens has opted to stretch the horse out to a mile on Thursday.
“Just because they’re closing in a sprint doesn’t mean they want to go further,” Jerkens told the NYRA publicity department on Sunday. “Seven furlongs would probably be ideal for him.”
Dylan Davis rides Green Light Go from post 2.
Jerkens also sends out The Sound, a 5-year-old son of Hard Spun who has not been out since April 28. Previously trained by Brad Cox, The Sound has one race on his form that stands out, a 4 3/4-length allowance win going a mile here in 2020 for which he earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure. He has yet to run anything close to that race back.
Lil Commissioner, a 7-year-old gelding trained by Rob Atras, is also seeking some of his previous back form. One year ago, he won this same conditioned race by 8 1/2 lengths, earning a Beyer of 97. He went to the sidelines after that and returned with a last-place finish in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler at Belmont Park before finishing sixth of 10 in a spot similar to this on Nov. 28.
Majestic Dunhill, the 2020 Bold Ruler winner, has beaten a total of only four horses in his last four races since, though all were stakes.
There will be nine races Thursday – including three brought back from last Friday’s canceled card – so first post will be 12:20 p.m.