Marriedtothemusic fresh off five-month layoff
Marriedtothemusic will make his first start since June in the eighth race at Aqueduct on Wednesday, a third-level optional-claiming sprint. His toughest challenge may come from Sage Valley, who has two races under his belt following a 10-month hiatus.
The sixth race Wednesday is a second-level allowance for New York-breds that lured the promising 3-year-old Deceived, who has not raced since May 31.
With rain expected in the New York area Tuesday and possibly into Wednesday, expect a wet track.
Marriedtothemusic has been consistent throughout his career. He won four of his first eight starts while trained by Dominic Galluscio, who died in March. He was then transferred to Linda Rice, for whom he has gone 2 for 4.
Last winter for Galluscio, Marriedtothemusic raced three times over the inner track, winning twice and finishing second once. Two of those starts came over “good” tracks, which bodes well for him in Wednesday’s six-furlong race.
In his first two starts for Rice, Marriedtothemusic won an open first-level allowance race and the statebred Affirmed Success Stakes. He finished off the board in his next two starts, the Grade 2 True North and an optional-claiming race on turf.
“We tried him once on turf, and it was apparent to us after that race he needed a break,” Rice said. “He’s been training very well, and he’s ready to get going. It’s possible he may need a race, but I expect him to run good.”
Sage Valley is a three-time stakes winner for trainer Rudy Rodriguez and owner Michael Dubb and partners. He concluded his 3-year-old season in 2012 by winning the Mr. Nasty at Aqueduct, kicked off his 4-year-old season six months later with a victory in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint at Pimlico, and then added the Grade 3 James Marvin that summer.
Off from December 2013 until this October, he will be making the third start of his comeback. Rodriguez shipped him to Laurel Park for his return race after being unable to find a spot locally, and he finished second, beaten a neck. The winner, Smash and Grab, came back to win a similar allowance in his next start.
Sage Valley was sixth behind Salutos Amigos in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler in his most recent start. Salutos Amigos has since finished seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and won the Fall Highweight.
Sage Valley has worked three times since the Bold Ruler and looks ready to fire his best shot. He may not be as quick as Marriedtothemusic and most likely will come from off the pace.
Key contenders
Marriedtothemusic (Last 3 Beyers: 68-71-95)
◗ He returned from a five-month layoff to win his 4-year-old debut in January.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: In the last five years, Rice is 19 for 150 (13 percent), with a return on investment of $1.17, with horses returning from a layoff of between 120 and 200 days. Marriedtothemusic has not raced in 163 days. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Sage Valley (Last 3 Beyers: 88-88-75)
◗ He is 2 for 7 over wet tracks.
Doubledown Again (Last 3 Beyers: 93-96-85)
◗ He earned a career-best 96 Beyer two starts ago while winning a second-level optional-claiming race for trainer Michelle Nevin.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Doubledown Again. Trainer Michelle Nevin is 21-8-5-2 with a $2.67 ROI over the past year in sprints on the Aqueduct inner dirt track. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
◗ He is having an unusual season, with an 11-1-6-3 record, but appears to be in his best form of the year.