Pat's No Fool upsets Maddie Mae Stakes

Maryland trainers had a pretty good weekend at Aqueduct. On Saturday, Claudio Gonzalez won the richest race on the New York Claiming Championships card, the $80,000 Caixa Eletronica, with Mr. Brix, who paid $21.80. On Sunday Gary Capuano took down the $101,900 Maddie Mae Stakes with $34.40 longshot Pat's No Fool.

While New York regular Kendrick Carmouche was aboard Mr. Brix, Jevian Toledo, one of the top riders in Maryland, rode Pat's No Fool to her three-quarter-length victory. The win was the first for Toledo at Aqueduct from seven rides dating back to 2014.

Pat's No Fool was jostled between horses the leaving the gate in the Maddie May as Shelley Ann took the lead in the 10-horse field of New York-bred 3-year-old fillies. Toledo worked his way to the outside with Pat's No Fool on the backstretch of the one-mile race, and they quickly picked up horses with a four-wide move on the far turn.

The daughter of Cross Traffic came away with the lead in upper stretch, then held rail-skimming Elegant Zip at bay during the final furlong while drifting inward towards her. Wadadli Princess finished strongly with a bid from well out on the track to take second by a nose from Elegant Zip.

"I was worried because I was a little bit wide, but I think she's a better horse on the outside," Toledo said of Pat's No Fool.

The race was timed in 1:41.80 over a "good" and harrowed track, the result of showers earlier in the day.

"We thought she had the talent," Capuano said. "She's a big, strong filly. She does everything right. She didn't break as good as I thought, but she got the perfect setup."

Pat's No Fool is now 2 for 4 in her career with earnings of $82,545. Capuano bought her at the 2017 Keeneland September yearling sale for $35,000.

This has been a pretty good winter for Capuano and Harry Loso, the owner of Pat's No Fool. In February, Capuano sent out the 3-year-old Hoffa's Union for a 15 1/2-length debut victory at Laurel Park. A few days later, the gelded son of Union Rags was purchased for a high six-figure price by Gary Barber, Adam Wachtel and partners. Capuano and Loso were co-owners of Hoffa's Union along with Foard Wilgis.