P Mutter Pickle tries to build off runaway debut win

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – P Mutter Pickle, an eye-catching debut winner of a New York-bred maiden race for 2-year-old fillies on Nov. 19, will face winners for the first time in a first-level allowance race Thursday at Aqueduct.

A daughter of Vino Rosso trained by Phil Antonacci for Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group, P Mutter Pickle galloped to an 8 1/4-length victory while being geared down late by Irad Ortiz Jr. She ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:18.33 and earned a 66 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She was very impressive, very professional,” Antonacci said. “For a 2-year-old to break the gate as well as she did was pretty impressive. I think she had everything her own and controlled the race, which was important, but you have to be very impressed with her first start. The question is what she beat in there.”

P Mutter Pickle, who Antonacci said is named after a friend of Grant’s who plays pickleball, faces five other 2-year-old fillies, several of whom were debut winners but who faltered in their second starts.

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Concerti won her debut by 3 1/4 lengths at Saratoga in July, finished last in the Seeking the Ante Stakes in August, and hasn’t run since. Valentine Gift was a 3 1/4-length winner in an off-the-turf maiden affair before finishing fifth in the Maid of the Mist. Unicorn Cake won first out at Saratoga by a head and has two thirds and a fifth in stakes since.

Alley’s Song and Bernietakescharge complete the sextet.

This six-furlong race goes as the third on the eight-race card that begins at 12:50 p.m.

◗ Sunday marked the sixth consecutive Aqueduct card and seventh in the last eight, that no trainer won more than one race on a NYRA program. Over the last six cards (55 races), 40 different trainers have won at least one race at Aqueduct.

Despite the fact that Chad Brown did not win any races during that span, he maintains a 14-12 lead over Linda Rice at the Aqueduct fall meet, with eight racing days remaining. Rudy Rodriguez, who has won four races over the last six cards, is third with 11 wins.

In the jockey standings, Manny Franco holds a 27-18 lead over Kendrick Carmouche for leading rider. Apprentice Luis Rivera Jr. ranks third with 16 wins.

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