Pentatonic relives last year

JAMAICA, N.Y. - Four weeks away from her seventh birthday and four months away from retirement, Pentatonic begins her farewell tour Sunday when she heads a seven-horse field entered in the $75,000 Montauk Handicap on the last day of racing over Aqueduct's main track.

The nine-furlong race is the first time Pentatonic has faced New York-bred company since she won the Montauk last year. In between, she has faced some of the top fillies and mares in training with mixed results.

Her highlight came last January when she won the Grade 3 Affectionately Handicap, defeating Strolling Belle and Pompeii. Her low point came last time out in the Grade 1 Beldame when she finished 17 lengths behind Exogenous.

That was Pentatonic's second race off a layoff, and followed a strong return effort 17 days prior when she defeated Secret Status by two lengths in a classified allowance race at Belmont. Trainer Richard Schosberg reasoned that he ran Pentatonic back too quickly in the Beldame.

Pentatonic, who has had a history of foot problems, has been freshened since Oct. 6 and Schosberg likes the way she's training entering the race. As she did last year, Pentatonic will carry topweight of 123 pounds in the Montauk, a 3-to-11-pound concession to the field.

"She's been working real well, holding her weight well and Ian [McKinlay] has her feet as good as they've ever been," Schosberg said, referring to Pentatonic's blacksmith. "She's got to carry the entire package like she did last year and we've got to beat a trainer named [Todd] Pletcher, which is extremely difficult whether it's maiden race or a graded stakes.''

Pletcher, who won two stakes last Saturday, will send out Lovely Amanda in the Montauk. Lovely Amanda has never won beyond a mile on dirt, but did win a second-level New York turf allowance race at nine furlongs. Lovely Amanda goes turf to dirt and could be the main speed under Javier Castellano.

At this time next year, when Pentatonic is in foal, the boss of the New York-bred older filly and mare division could very well be Too Scarlet. A 3-year-old daughter of Belmont Stakes winner Colonial Affair, Too Scarlet has won five consecutive races after dropping her debut. She has yet to race beyond seven furlongs, but trainer Kristina Dupps is confident nine furlongs is within her scope.