Maragh confident in Spartiatis

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Spartiatis, a 7-year-old gelding, captured his first stakes victory in last Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct. Jockey Rajiv Maragh does not think it will be his last stakes win.

Spartiatis will point to the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct on April 8, and Maragh thinks Spartiatis will have a good chance in that seven-furlong race, where he most likely will take on Unified, the winner of the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint.

“This horse can win the Carter, definitely,” Maragh said. “I was full of run coming to the wire. I felt like I had more, and he galloped out strong, and he wasn’t even tired at all. This horse is really doing good. I’m excited.”

Spartiatis, trained by Leon Blusiewicz, has won two straight races. He earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for the Tom Fool victory.