Rice wheels back Snide against softer company
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Snide finished second to the stakes-bound Point of Reference when she stepped into open allowance company two weeks ago at Aqueduct. Monday, Snide returns to the starter allowance/optional-claiming ranks where the competition is a bit softer, making her a top contender in the Memorial Day feature.
There is a nine-race card Monday at Aqueduct, after which racing on this circuit goes dark until June 3 when the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival begins at Saratoga, highlighted by the June 6 Belmont Stakes. Racing will resume at Aqueduct on June 11 for the final three-week run of this historic track’s tenure which ends on June 28.
Snide, a 4-year-old daughter of Tonalist, has only run at Aqueduct in her seven-race career, winning twice and finishing second three times. On April 10, she won a starter allowance by 3 1/2 lengths. That race was open to horses who started for a claiming tag of $50,000 or less. Monday’s race is open to horses who have started for $25,000 or less since Jan. 1, 2025.
On May 10, Snide pressed a moderate pace, then fought hard before giving way to Point of Reference by 2 3/4 lengths. Point of Reference is trained by Chad Brown, who had considered his filly for the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan before settling on that allowance.
Trainer Linda Rice is running Snide back on 15 days’ rest, but relatively short turnarounds are commonplace for Rice.
“It’s just because it seemed like a good opportunity,” Rice said. “She’s doing fine, figured we take a look at that race and it looks like a good spot. She likes the one-turn mile.”
Manny Franco, aboard for Snide’s April 10 win, is back aboard Snide on Monday. They will break from the outside post in this eight-horse field.
Rice also entered Mursal, a filly coming off a second-place finish in a $30,000 claimer. Rice was pleased with the way Dylan Davis got the 6-year-old mare to relax some early and finish.
“She wants to be a little aggressive early. We’ve struggled to get her to settle behind horses but Dylan did a nice job of it last time,” Rice said.
Jamie Ness, coming off a six-day win day on Wednesday – three at Delaware Park, three at Parx – which included his 5,000th career win, has Sweet Laura for this spot. Sweet Laura won a starter allowance by six lengths here on March 28 and came back two weeks later in a Parx allowance and ran into the buzzsaw known as Irish Maxima, who beat Sweet Laura by 6 3/4 lengths. Irish Maxima came back to win the Grade 2 Ruffian here on May 9, while Sweet Laura came back to win an allowance/optional claimer at Parx by 5 1/4 lengths on May 2.
Jaime Rodriguez rides Sweet Laura from the rail.
Sailaway, unraced since winning a starter allowance going 1 1/8 miles on March 6, is entered in this spot but trainer Gustavo Rodriguez would prefer a longer race.
“I love the way she’s coming into the race,” said Rodriguez, who was aboard Sailaway for a half-mile work in 51.65 seconds on Friday.
Higher Force, Pistol Liz Ablazen, and the Ilkay Kantarmaci team pair of That’s Funny and Princess Becca complete the field.
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