Rodriguez might run three in Gravesend Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Rudy Rodriguez nominated five horses to the $100,000 Gravesend Stakes at Aqueduct and said he might run as many as three in the six-furlong race scheduled for Dec. 18.

Rodriguez said he will likely run All Star Red and Drama King, with Summer Revolution as a possibility. Heaven’s Runway, who upset the Fall Highweight Handicap, is likely to skip it and perhaps point for the $100,000 Dave’s Friend Stakes at Laurel on Dec. 31. Voluntario, his other nominee, ran in a route race here Friday.

While Heaven’s Runway won the Fall Highweight here on Thanksgiving Day, All Star Red finished sixth in that race. Rodriguez was expecting a better effort from the 4-year-old son of Five Star Day and said he would equip the horse with blinkers for the Gravesend.

“He lost his footing at the gate. I don’t know if that cost him, but I was disappointed he didn’t finish 1-2-3,” Rodriguez said. “I’m going to put blinkers on him and see if that wakes him up a little bit.”

Drama King won twice over the inner track last winter, including the Hollie Hughes Stakes for New York-breds. He has lost his last six starts, including a third-place finish in the Hudson Handicap at Belmont Park on Oct. 22.

On Friday, Drama King worked five furlongs in 1:02.20 over Aqueduct’s inner track.

Summer Revolution worked five furlongs Friday in 1:01, the fastest of nine moves at the distance. Summer Revolution was scratched from an allowance race earlier in the week because he showed signs of colic, according to Rodriguez.

Summer Revolution won his first two starts before finishing fourth behind Drefong in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga.