Milton the Monster in scary-good form for Toboggan
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Milton the Monster will seek his third consecutive victory and first in a stakes when he starts Saturday in a seemingly wide-open renewal of the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct.
Claimed for $62,500 by Tom Morley for Rainbow’s End Racing out of a win at Aqueduct on Dec. 3, Milton the Monster won right back on the raise to $80,000 here on New Year’s Day. Both wins were at seven furlongs, the distance of the Toboggan and one at which Milton the Monster is 4 for 4. Both wins were over wet surfaces, something that is not expected to be in play Saturday.
“He just seems to be a horse in a really happy place at the moment, and I think he ran a bang-up race last time so we’re going to have a crack at this,” Morley said.
Morley said Milton the Monster fits the profile of horses he has claimed for Rainbow’s End Racing, the nom de course of the operation headed by Bob Scavetta and Mike Ianconni.
“He’s got plenty of back class, and sometimes just a change of scenery can really help horses,” Morley said. “We have noticed that he’s gotten stronger and stronger behind since we’ve had him.”
Manny Franco rides Milton the Monster from post 7.
Owner-trainer Lynn Cash is wheeling Pirate Rick back six days after he won a six-furlong allowance race by seven lengths here Sunday with a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure. It was his fourth consecutive victory, second at Aqueduct. Pirate Rick is cross-entered in an allowance Tuesday at Parx, but Cash said Thursday he plans to run in New York.
The short turnaround and the seven furlongs give Cash some pause, but he sees a lack of speed in the Toboggan that he believes could help Pirate Rick.
“I think I can have the rail and the lead really without pushing too hard,” said Cash, who has Jose Gomez to ride from post 2.
Cash does plan to scratch Double Crown from the Toboggan to run in a Monday allowance at Parx.
Wendell Fong, trained by Natalia Lynch, is also cross-entered in Tuesday’s allowance at Parx and might run there with Pirate Rick running in New York.
Drafted won the Toboggan last year to kick off a solid 8-year-old campaign in which he won four stakes, capped by a nose victory in last month’s Gravesend.
“He’s prepped and he’s ready,” trainer David Duggan said. “He worked nicely the other day. He’s in the right kind of form physically and mentally.”
Little Vic, beaten a nose when second to Drafted in the Gravesend, returns to New York for trainer Juan Avila, who is adding blinkers to the 4-year-old colt’s equipment.
Repo Rocks has won two stakes at Parx since being transferred to that track’s leading trainer, Jamie Ness. Repo Rocks finished second to Drafted in last year’s Toboggan when trained by Greg DiPrima.
Synthesis has sandwiched two allowance wins around a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight for owner-trainer David Jacobson.
Three Two Zone finished last of five as the favorite in the Gravesend, his first start off a four-month layoff. Trainer Ray Handal said he likely needed that start.
The Toboggan goes as race 7 on a nine-race card that begins at 12:10 p.m.
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