McGaughey pair take on Selenite in rare allowance
Racing fans with an eye for the unusual will want to tune in for Thursday’s seventh race, when nine fillies still eligible for second-level allowance conditions are scheduled to go 1 1/8 miles on turf. At Aqueduct, grass races at that distance are few and far between. Just four have been run at the last five fall meets.
Trainer Shug McGaughey could have them coming and going in the $69,000 race with the entry of stretch-running Cloture and likely pacesetter Party Now.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Cloture. Trainer Shug McGaughey is 61-14-10-6 with a $2.89 ROI over the past five years in turf routes with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Cloture has been idle since taking 1 3/8-mile allowance opening day of Belmont’s fall meet, while Party Now had a scheduled start rained off the turf last week, and makes her first start since leading early and fading to fourth in the Wonder Again Stakes on May 25.
The only stakes winner in the field is Selenite, who is 3 for 3 at a mile on turf. All three of those races came against New York-breds, including an allowance win at the Big A and a division of the New York Stallion Series at Saratoga.
“She’s got a bright future,” trainer David Donk said.
Selenite comes off a third-place finish in the Ticonderoga Stakes behind Grade 1 winner Discreet Marq.
Chad Brown sends out the uncoupled pair of High Heel Kitten and Little Journey.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 High Heel Kitten. Trainer Chad Brown is 32-4-9-7 with a $0.59 ROI over the past two years second start after a layoff in turf routes with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Cross-entered in Laurel Park’s eighth race Thursday are Premium, who showed surprising speed with first-time Lasix and saved second over Little Journey last out, and Principessa Ava, who won her U.S. debut at Delaware Park in September. Both are also-eligibles at Laurel.
Bohemian Dance set the pace against males in the 1 5/8-mile John’s Call Stakes two starts back, and comes off a tough trip in the Lady Baltimore when beaten less than two lengths.
KEY CONTENDERS
Party Now (Last 3 Beyers: 82-88-84)
◗ The Wonder Again Stakes was her first non-exacta finish.
◗ Both of her victories have come following layoffs of more than two months.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 A Party Now. Trainer Shug McGaughey is 58-16-11-7 with a $2.82 ROI over the past five years in turf routes following a layoff of between 61 and 180 days. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Little Journey (Last 3 Beyers: 80-74-79)
◗ She was beaten just over a length as the 7-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Boiling Springs two starts ago.
◗ She is among four foreign-bred fillies in the race along with Bohemian Dance, Premium, and Principessa Ava.
Selenite (Last 3 Beyers: 82-76-79)
◗ She comes off the highest Beyer Figure of her career.
◗ She tops the field in wins (3) and earnings ($178,153).
◗ Donk is 14 for 68 ($2.21 return on investment) with allowance runners in 2013-14.