Shippers Halina's Forte, Ghalia Princess invade for Ruthless

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Out-of-towners Halina’s Forte and Ghalia Princess add some spice to Saturday’s $100,000 Ruthless Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

The Ruthless, at seven furlongs, shares top billing on Saturday’s 10-race card with the $100,000 Broadway for New York-bred fillies and mares also at seven furlongs. First post Saturday is 12:20 p.m.

Halina’s Forte, a daughter of Mitole, has a maiden win and two seconds in stakes on her résumé. The three starts came in seven weeks, and her runner-up finish behind three-time winner Leslie’s Loot in the Letellier Memorial on Dec. 23 at Fair Grounds was certainly a regression from a speed-figure standpoint.

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“Certainly, I don’t think she ran her best that day,” trainer Phil Bauer said. “She’s benefitted from having time physically and she’s grown up a little bit.”

Halina’s Forte showed speed in winning her debut at Churchill going 5 1/2 furlongs. She has broken sharply in her two stakes tries, stalking the pace before making a stretch run.

“The other day at Fair Grounds, she got herself in trouble at the quarter pole and had to wait,” Bauer said.

Halina’s Forte breaks from post 3 under Eric Cancel, who, after a 1-for-51 start to the meet, won four races from seven mounts last week here.

Ghalia Princess, a daughter of American Pharoah, was a debut winner for Brad Cox on Jan. 20 at Fair Grounds. After having to steady slightly at the five-sixteenths pole, Ghalia Princess found ample room at the quarter pole and needed the length of the stretch to run down favored first-time starter Motown Dynamic to win by a head.

“She showed us a good bit in the mornings, and we liked her first time out,” Cox, who has already won four stakes at Aqueduct this winter, told the NYRA publicity department. “She pulled through and just based off of timing and what she’s done since her maiden-breaking win, I feel she’s ready to make this jump.”

Manny Franco rides Ghalia Princess from the rail.

Value Area is the only member of this field to have won at seven furlongs, doing so by a neck in a maiden race in her sixth career race.

Most of All turns back to a one-turn race after fourth-place finishes in the Grade 2 Demoiselle and Busanda – both at 1 1/8 miles. Reconcile, runner-up in the Xtra Heat Stakes on Jan. 27 at Laurel; Low Society, winner of a starter allowance on New Year’s Day; and the maiden Tiarella complete the field.

The Ruthless goes as race 7.

Majestic Return in stakes debut

The improving Majestic Return makes her stakes debut against the likes of stakes winners Venti Valentine and Kant Hurry Love in Saturday’s $100,000 Broadway Stakes for New York-bred females at seven furlongs.

Majestic Return, a daughter of Long On Value, has two wins and two seconds since trainer Michelle Giangiulio added blinkers to her equipment. While Majestic Return only beat three horses in an allowance last out, she did so authoritatively and earned a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She’s really matured, each race she’s just gotten better,” Giangiulio said. “From the end of 2023, she’s just gotten stronger and bigger and I think her 4-year-old year is going to be her best year.”

Last Saturday, she put in a solid work of 47.91 seconds over the Belmont training track, the sixth fastest of 119 works at the distance.

Majestic Return has only tried seven furlongs once, finishing fourth behind Security Code – entered in this race – in an allowance last April.

“Hopefully, she can get the seven-eighths, that’s definitely a question, but she’s doing better than ever and she’s stronger so we’re putting her to the test,” Giangiulio said.

Kendrick Carmouche rides Majestic Return from the outside post in this eight-horse field.

Kant Hurry Love, beaten a nose by Hot Fudge in the Dec. 9 Garland of Roses, also is trying seven furlongs for the second time. Her only start at that distance was a last-place finish in the four-horse Pumpkin Pie last November.

Trainer David Duggan wanted to keep Kant Hurry Love at six furlongs but when last month’s Fire Plug Stakes at Laurel was canceled, he pointed for this spot. Kant Hurry Love won the Dancin Renee and was second in the Union Avenue in her last two statebred stakes efforts.

“There’s a gray area with the seven-eighths, but I think it maybe balances out with the company,” Duggan said. “She’s continued to train well. She appears to like the cold weather.”

Venti Valentine, a five-time stakes winner, is back for her 5-year-old season. She is coming off a runner-up finish to the highly regarded Fingal’s Cave in the Bay Ridge on Dec. 28.

Bustin Bay, an 11-time winner who was fourth in the Bay Ridge, Sweetest Princess, Golden Rocket, Gone and Forgotten, and Security Code complete the field.

The Broadway goes as race 9.

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