Rice, Ortiz aim to continue hot streak

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The jockey-trainer team of Irad Ortiz Jr. and Linda Rice won seven races from 12 starters at Aqueduct last week and join forces three times on Thursday’s eight-race card, including with Do Share in the day’s featured third-level allowance/optional $80,000 claiming race.

Do Share, a 4-year-old gelding by Candy Ride, has not raced since July 2 when he finished third in a similar spot but on the turf. Prior to that, he won a second-level allowance on dirt, defeating Seeking the Soul, recent winner of the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Rice said Do Share needed some time off following that July 2 race. Also, since then, Do Share’s owner, Anthony Miuccio, died. The horse is now running for the Estate of Miuccio, which is being overseen by his daughter Connie, according to Rice.

“I trained for him for six years, spoke to him almost every day,” Rice said. “We had a lot of fun together.”

Do Share, who breaks from the rail in this 6 1/2-furlong race, has a versatile running style that figures to aid him in this field, which appears to have plenty of early-speed types such as Angry Moon, Hey Jabber Jaw, and Lex Vegas.

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If the pace is fast early, that would benefit Celtic Chaos, who is seeking to end a three-race losing streak after he had previously won three straight. Celtic Chaos finished fourth in the Grade 1 Vosburgh on Sept. 30 and came back to run fourth, beaten three lengths, in the Hudson Handicap for New York-breds on Oct. 21.

“He always runs that same race,” said Joe Lee, assistant to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. “If there was a little moisture in the track, he’d like that.”

Javier Castellano is in New York on Thursday and will ride Celtic Chaos from post 3.

Hey Jabber Jaw is taking the biggest class drop as he comes out of a last-place finish in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap. He was claimed for $100,000 by Robertino Diodoro on behalf of Sanford Goldfarb and M&M Racing back in October and is in for $80,000 on Thursday.

KEY CONTENDERS

Celtic Chaos, by Dublin
Last 3 Beyers: 82-83-90

◗ Earlier this year, he posted consecutive New York-bred stakes victories in the Affirmed Success at Belmont and the John Morrissey at Saratoga.

◗ Should get ample pace to close into, and he is 3 for 8 at the 6 1/2-furlong distance.

Do Share, by Candy Ride
Last 3 Beyers: 89-94-89

◗ Returns from a 165-day layoff in a tough spot, but did win a solid optional claimer on the Belmont Stakes undercard when last seen on dirt.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over last three years, Rice is 5 for 20 with a $2.78 return on investment going turf to dirt with horses returning from a layoff of between 60 and 180 days.

Hey Jabber Jaw, by Mineshaft
Last 3 Beyers: 57-90-91

◗ Throw out the last, as it was against much tougher, and any of his three previous races put him in the mix in this spot.

◗ In September he beat Ostrolenka in an optional claimer. Ostrolenka came back to win the Hudson Stakes, beating Candid Desire and Celtic Chaos, both of whom are in this field.