Mrs. Danvers leads throughout Comely after favored Gale stumbles at the start

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Shug McGaughey always wanted to run Mrs. Danvers around two turns, but there were few opportunities to do that on the New York circuit.

Friday, Mrs. Danvers got her first chance to run 1 1/8 miles around two turns and she made the most of it, cruising to a front-running, 6 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $100,000 Comely Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

Ice Princess, rallied to get second by four lengths over Thankful. Toned Up finished fourth, a head over Gale, the 2-1 favorite who stumbled at the start, Miss Marissa, Project Whiskey, and My Sweet Wife.

Makingcents and Pure Rhythm scratched.

The win continued a good recent run in New York stakes for McGaughey and owner/breeder Joe Allen. Last weekend, they won the Grade 3 Red Smith with North Dakota, who is closely related to Mrs. Danvers. In October they won the Grade 1 Flower Bowl at Belmont with Civil Union.

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Mrs. Danvers, a daughter of Tapit, won for the third time in eight starts, the second straight victory since McGaughey added blinkers to her equipment.

“They’ve definitely helped her,” McGaughey said.

McGaughey wanted Jose Lezcano to put Mrs. Danvers into the race and she was able to clear the field entering the first turn. Mrs. Danvers was aided by the stumbling start of Gale, who most likely would have been a forward factor.

Mrs. Danvers was confronted early on the backside by Project Whiskey, who put a head in front of Mrs. Danvers at one point. Mrs. Danvers regained a narrow advantage after a half-mile in 48.69 and, after Project Whiskey dropped back, she was confronted by Gale, who got a bit rank under Ortiz and unsurprisingly was done by the three-sixteenths pole.

Mrs. Danvers opened up a five-length lead by mid-stretch and coasted in from there.

“I think what she naturally wants to do is run this far,” McGaughey said. “Being on the lead today definitely helped. I don’t think it’s something that has to be but I think going down the line she’ll probably be forwardly placed.”

Mrs. Danvers covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.09 and returned $9.50 as the third choice.

McGaughey didn’t know what might be next for Mrs. Danvers, but said “I’m not ready to stop.”

Gale was favored coming off a 13 1/2-length victory in a restricted allowance race at Laure Park. After stumbling, she got a bit rank under Ortiz, made a move to contend before fading down the lane.

“My Plan A was to sit second or third since I was on the outside but I ended up stumbling and she grabbed her [right front] quarter pretty good, she was a little rank in the first turn and was very, very wide,” Ortiz said.