New York-breds Snicket, Mosienko fit nicely vs. open company
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though Thursday’s first-level allowance feature on dirt is an open race, four of the seven fillies and mares entered are New York-breds topped by the duo of Snicket and Mosienko.
That the 6 1/2-furlong race is being run at Aqueduct is only a plus for Snicket who is 3 for 7 at the Big A, including consecutive statebred allowance wins in the spring. Snicket, trained by David Duggan for Highland Yard LLC, is coming off a second-place finish in the Union Avenue Stakes for New York-breds on Aug. 12 at Saratoga.
“She actually lost a shoe in that race at Saratoga,” Duggan said. “It’s a sweet spot. She’s been consistent. She couldn’t be training better, doing better, and I presume she’ll be on or very close to the lead. She could be controlling speed I suppose if nobody wants to go.”
In between her two wins at Aqueduct and the Union Avenue, Snicket finished sixth in this condition at Belmont Park in a race run over an extremely sloppy surface on May 7 and then was fifth in the Dancin Renee on June 26 with a very wide trip.
Duggan said Snicket came out of the May 7 race with a foot issue that may or may not have been brewing before the race.
Trevor McCarthy rides Snicket from post 2.
Mosienko, a 5-year-old daughter of Hat Trick trained by Dennis Lalman for his daughter Stacy, brings a two-race winning streak into this sprint. Both of her wins came against statebred company, including a 4 1/2-length score Sept. 2 for which she earned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure.
Dennis Lalman credits maturity for Mosienko’s success as a 5-year-old.
“She used to be little bit nervous, but as she’s gotten older she’s more relaxed, her demeanor has gotten better,” Lalman said. “I also have to give [Luis] Saez a lot of credit for getting her more involved early. She used to be a come-from-behind horse.”
Mosienko, who breaks from post 6 under Saez, has a 2-2-0 record from seven starts.
Chasing Cara and Fight On Lucy are the other two New York-breds in this field.
To a T, a Florida-bred daughter of Uncaptured, is coming off a solid second in this condition Aug. 21 at Saratoga. Chloe Rose and Firing Carol complete the field.