Runninsonofagun faces older but easier rivals in Bold Ruler
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Runninsonofagun has been just that since being claimed for $40,000 last New Year’s Eve, placing in four consecutive graded stakes against some of the more prolific one-turn 3-year-olds around.
Saturday, Runninsonofagun will step out of his age group but will not face any stars in a seemingly wide-open renewal of the Grade 3, 250,000 Bold Ruler Stakes at Aqueduct. The Bold Ruler, typically run at seven furlongs, has been shortened this year to six and is run on the same card as the repositioned Kelso Stakes at one mile.
Runninsonofagun, by Gun Runner, is coming out of a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Racing. Ridden by Luis Saez that day, Runninsonofagun encountered some trouble approaching the five-sixteenths pole, was maneuvered to the rail, and finished well to get up third behind Scaramouche and Of a Revolution.
“Luis said [Of a Revolution] came off the rail and he clipped his heels,” said John Toscano III, son of and assistant to trainer John Toscano Jr. “He had to regroup and come running along the rail. We didn’t really want to be on the rail, I told him try to get him outside if you can because at Parx the outside is usually better.”
In his two previous starts, Runninsonofagun was third in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens, four lengths behind Jack Christopher, and third, 4 1/2 lengths behind Gunite, in the Grade 2 Amsterdam, both at Saratoga.
Despite the competitive schedule, Toscano believes Runninsonofagun “is training as good as a horse could train. Every race he’s bounced back better. He’s a late May foal, I think he’s just hitting his stride now.”
Runninsonofagun, who breaks from post 8 under Kendrick Carmouche, is 2 for 2 at Aqueduct, with both wins coming at six furlongs.
Meraas, a group stakes winner in Dubai in February, was a vet scratch the morning of the Dubai Golden Shaheen in March. In April, he was moved to the United States and trainer Chad Summers.
On Sept. 3, off a seven-month layoff, Meraas finished third behind Elite Power in a second-level allowance at Saratoga. Elite Power came back to win the Grade 2 Vosburgh, and two other horses from that race came back to win.
“I was probably a work short, but Elite Power is a really nice horse,” Summers said. “It’s come back a pretty strong race.”
Meraas, who will be ridden by Flavien Prat, is speed from the rail. He will likely have to deal with the early speed of Steineck, one of three horses entered by trainer Norman “Lynn” Cash. That trio includes Eastern Bay, who was a decent second to Elite Power in the Grade 2 Vosburgh here Oct. 1.
“Eastern Bay is very live to at least hit the board,” said Cash, who also runs Jalen Journey, who finished last in the Vosburgh.
Drafted, third in the Vosburgh, Factor It In, Jaxon Traveler, Greeley and Ben, and Repo Rocks complete the field.
Pumpkin Pie Stakes
Glass Ceiling, who won multiple graded stakes during the winter, is cataloged as Hip No. 291 at the Fasig-Tipton November sale on Nov. 6. She has a chance to head there a winner – or perhaps convince her connections to race more – when she runs in Saturday’s $120,000 Pumpkin Pie Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs.
Glass Ceiling was beaten a head by Lady Rocket in the faster of split divisions of last year’s Pumpkin Pie. She then reeled off four consecutive victories, including the Barbara Fritchie at Laurel Park and the Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct. Glass Ceiling finished third in the Bed o’ Roses and fifth in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney before getting a much-deserved break.
“My partner is not too keen on selling, I 100 percent want to go to the sale,” said Charlton Baker, trainer and part-owner of Glass Ceiling. “I figure we’d run her if I got her fit enough, and I think she’s fit enough.”
Baker said Glass Ceiling’s breezes “have been super. Just as good as before she left.”
Glass Ceiling carries high weight of 126 pounds under Dylan Davis and breaks from post 5 in a seven-horse field.
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Glass Ceiling is 5 for 12 at seven furlongs while her six rivals are a combined 1 for 12 at that distance.
Oxana and Dr B ran first and second in the Roamin Rachel Stakes going 6 1/2 furlongs on Oct. 3 at Parx. Oxana could be the primary speed under Paco Lopez.
W W Fitzy cuts back to seven furlongs following a second-level allowance win going 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga.
Boston Post Road, Corey, and Movie Moxy complete the field.
Awad Stakes
Let’s Go Big Blue, who encountered some traffic trouble when third in the $500,000 Nownownow Stakes on Sept. 17 at Monmouth Park, looms the horse to beat in the $120,000 Awad Stakes for juvenile males at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
Trained by George Weaver for owner Bill Parcells, Let’s Go Big Blue was a handy winner of a 1 1/16-mile maiden race against New York-breds on Aug. 19 in Saratoga. In the Nownownow, jockey Eric Cancel had to wait for running room before tipping outside and closing well to be third behind Webslinger.
Debut maiden winners Dandy Handyman and Freedom Trail and El de Chimi, fourth in the Nownownow, loom the main threats in this seven-horse field.
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