Martin tries to keep trend alive with Frau Diablo

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Carlos Martin has been on a nice run recently, winning five races with his last 10 starters at Aqueduct since Oct. 31. Three of those wins have come with horses returning from layoffs of 130 days or greater.

In Thursday’s featured second-level allowance/optional-claiming feature at Aqueduct, Martin sends out Frau Diablo, a 4-year-old filly who returns from a 166-day layoff and makes her first start for him after previously racing for Mike Maker.

“I’ve only had her about seven weeks, it seems like she came in in good shape from Sugar Maple Farm,” Martin said. “They did a good job for a filly that was off almost five months – I guess she was doing a lot of running around in the paddock – because she came in good and fit.”

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Frau Diablo shows a relatively light work tab though on Nov. 23 she worked a bullet half-mile out of the gate in 46.80 seconds over a sloppy Belmont Park training track. Apprentice Christopher Elliott was aboard for the work and will ride her Thursday.

“Once she worked so good, I said, ‘You know what, let me put her in,’ ” Martin said. “I saw this race come up.”

Frau Diablo did win twice over the Aqueduct main track last winter, including a maiden victory Dec. 7 off a 104-day layoff. Frau Diablo has not run since an eighth-place finish in the Goldwood Stakes on turf June 22 at Monmouth.

“I don’t know what happened in the grass race at Monmouth, maybe she’s not a grass horse,” Martin said. “She’s been training well. Unfortunately, she seems like she’s a need-the-lead type, and the horse on the rail just went” 44.55 seconds for a half-mile.

Martin was referring to Shesalittle Edgy, who won a starter allowance in front-running fashion Oct. 20.

Should a pace duel develop, that could set things up nicely for Willow Bend, a 4-year-old daughter of Flatter who has run twice in this condition, finishing second to Rachel’s Rock going seven furlongs and then fourth behind Autumn Evening going a mile. This will be her third start off the $32,000 claim made by trainer Linda Rice on behalf of Winning Move Stable on Sept. 13.

“I think she’s a better closing sprinter,” Rice said. “I think the distance will be better for her.”

Rice also sends out an uncoupled stablemate in Everyoneloveslinda who has twice won in this condition, once in front-running fashion in April and again from just off the pace in the mud in May.

Trainer Rick Dutrow, who is 9 for 18 at the Aqueduct fall meet, has the uncoupled pair of Proud Foot and Fancy Azteca in this field. Fancy Azteca has speed and figures to be close to the pace, whereas Proud Foot looks to be a stalker.

The multiple New York-bred stakes winner Tricky Temper will look to get back on track in this open-company allowance. I’m Buzzy goes first off the $40,000 claim for Charlie Baker.

One of the more gratifying wins for Martin during his recent successful run was that of Patricia Ann, who came off a 209-day layoff to win a first-level allowance race by 3 1/4 lengths last Friday. Patricia Ann was named in honor of Martin’s sister-in-law Patricia Ann Wagner, who died in October 2022.

Prior to her allowance win, Patricia Ann had stumbled and lost her rider during a May 4 race at Aqueduct.

“She had a little chip taken out of an ankle. Dr. [Patty] Hogan did a great job,” Martin said. “We took plenty of time with her. She was ready to run a couple of weeks ago, but I said, ‘You know what, this filly means so much let me take my time with her and give her a couple of extra works.’ ”

Patricia Ann earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure for the allowance win. Martin said he would like to see Patricia Ann get through her next allowance condition before trying a stakes race.

Pretty Ana to winter in Florida

Pretty Ana, winner of Saturday’s Grade 3 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct, will get a freshening at Payson Park in Florida before her connections map out a 4-year-old campaign for her, trainer Chad Brown said Sunday.

Brown said he had nothing initially in mind for Pretty Ana, who is already valuable as a half-sister to champion Gun Runner. Pretty Ana earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for her first stakes win. Prior to the Comely, Pretty Ana was third, beaten a neck, in the Grade 2 Mother Goose, a race in which she was bothered early on and out of position.

Brown had run Pretty Ana on turf when he first got her in part because she had the pedigree for it.

“Certainly, she’s bred for it, but after a couple of starts she didn’t run well on turf but I liked the way she trained on dirt,” Brown said. “I think she ran to her training.”

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