Pair of allowance races key to mandatory payout Empire 6

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There will be a mandatory payout of the Empire 6 wager Tuesday at Aqueduct and handicappers figure to focus on two impressive last-out maiden winners when constructing their plays.

The 3-year-olds Communicator and Operation Roses were both visually impressive winners here last month. Both take the next logical step in separate first-level allowance races that highlight Tuesday’s eight-race program. As it is the final day of racing in 2019, state regulations require there be mandatory payouts in the Empire 6 and both the early and late pick fives.

The Empire 6, which began Saturday’s card with an $82,137 carryover, will start with race 3 (1:28 p.m. Eastern) on Tuesday.

Communicator, by Bernardini and a half-brother to 2018 champion older male Accelerate, heads a six-horse field in race 7, a first-level open-company allowance going 1 1/8 miles. Communicator, trained by Brad Cox for Twin Creeks Racing, rolled to a 6 1/4-length victory in his second career start on Nov. 10 at Aqueduct. In that one-turn mile race, he raced on the front end and took some pace pressure from odds-on favorite Spice Island, before drawing off in the stretch under a hand ride from Javier Castellano. He ran a mile in 1:37.62 and earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

Jose Lezcano rides Communicator on Tuesday.

Communicator’s competition includes Moretti, a high-priced yearling purchase who won his maiden going 1 1/8 miles here last December. Moretti finished sixth in the Grade 3 Withers in February and was off for nine months before finishing a well-beaten fifth behind Bodexpress in a money allowance at Gulfstream Park West on Nov. 20.

Others entered include Smidge, Creative Style, Patagonia, and Mathematician.

In race 6, Operation Roses, a seven-length winner going six furlongs on Nov. 24, takes on winners in a New York-bred allowance going seven furlongs. Operation Roses, a gelding by Super Saver owned by WinStar Farm and trained by Todd Pletcher, overcame the rail, a sloppy track, and an 11-horse field to win going away on Nov. 24.

“It’s always concerning breaking from the rail, but he had a pretty clean trip, he handled the slop well,” said Byron Hughes, assistant to Pletcher. “He’s come out of it in good shape, he’s been breezing well since, we expect another big effort.”

Among his eight rivals is Silver Seeker, a gelding by Central Banker who has been based in the Midwest with Gene LaCroix. Silver Seeker won his debut on dirt at Indiana Grand in April before running fourth in a turf race in May. On Dec 6, he came off a 6 1/2-month layoff to win an allowance over the synthetic surface at Turfway Park.

Financialstability, trained by Chad Brown, has finished second and third in two starts at this level. High Command, a winner of three straight at Finger Lakes for Ronald Breed, Alongcametheprince, Bebe Banker Jack Bo, Ten Twenty Nine, and Vintage Hollywood complete the field.