My Mane Squeeze, Bernietakescharge meet again in Maddie May Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Bernietakescharge closed the margin between her and My Mane Squeeze from the first time they met in October to last month’s Franklin Square Stakes.

Trainer Dominick Schettino is hoping Bernietakescharge can overtake My Mane Squeeze on Sunday when the two meet for a third time in the $100,000 Maddie May Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies going one mile at Aqueduct.

My Mane Squeeze beat Bernietakescharge by 4 1/4 lengths in the Maid of the Mist last October. After Bernietakescharge won a first-level allowance, she ran a solid second to My Mane Squeeze, beaten just 1 1/4 lengths, in the Franklin Square, fighting with that one until deep stretch.

Bernietakescharge has run her last two starts with blinkers on, equipment Schettino thinks has made a difference for the daughter of Take Charge Indy.

“She was looking around at horses, a little intimidated.Blinkers helped her focus more, pay attention,” Schettino said. “She’s just coming into her own now. She’s starting to really figure out what she has to do. She’s more mature mentally than she was early on.”

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Schettino is not thrilled with Bernietakescharge having to break from post 2, but will leave the tactics up to jockey Trevor McCarthy.

b“Hopefully, Trevor gets her out of the gate, break forwardly, get position, and go from there,” Schettino said.

My Mane Squeeze, a daughter of Audible trained by Mike Maker, has won three of five starts, including the Maid of the Mist and Franklin Square. She has the advantage of being outside in this 10-horse field under Jose Lezcano.

Munny Grab, a daughter of Munnings, won her maiden by four lengths going a mile against statebreds here in November. In her most recent start, Munny Grab finished third in the Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel Park going seven furlongs. The two horses that finished ahead of her were both stakes winners and the horse who finished fourth, Roanan Goddess, came back to win the Xtra Heat Stakes at Laurel.

Munny Grab is now back with statebreds and at a distance trainer Horacio De Paz believes is in her favor.

“She wants to go a mile. We were happy with her the day she won at Aqueduct,” De Paz said. “There have been a couple of fillies who have come out of the race at Laurel that ran back and ran well.”

Manny Franco rides Munny Grab from post 6.

Landed, a daughter of Omaha Beach, is in from Keeneland for Wesley Ward. Landed won a one-mile New York-bred maiden race in December. That raced produced one next-out winner – albeit for a $40,000 claiming tag – and two horses who ran second in their next outs.

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Cara’s Time, trained by Mitch Friedman, upset the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes at 22-1 last September. She finished second to My Mane Squeeze in the Maid of the Mist, but finished last in the Franklin Square after getting embroiled in a speed duel.

Midnight Concerto, Walk With Me, Blue Eyed Warrior, and Rumint complete the field.

The Maddie May goes as race 8 on a nine-race card that begins at 12:50 p.m.

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