Sir Kartrite tops intriguing statebred field; $47K pick six carryover

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A quartet of allowance races for New York-breds highlight Sunday’s 10-race program at Aqueduct with the most interesting perhaps being the one for 2-year-old males going six furlongs where five of the seven entrants are coming off maiden victories.

Following Sunday’s card, Aqueduct is dark until Dec. 27.

The narrow margin by which Sir Kartrite won his maiden here on Nov. 23 belies the performance. After setting the pace under Manny Franco over a sealed, muddy track, Sir Kartrite was challenged by Skytown and then headed by Volatile Situation. The latter challenged Sir Kartrite all the way to the wire, with Sir Kartrite prevailing by a neck. Volatile Situation runs in Sunday’s sixth race, a maiden event.

It was the second career start for Sir Kartrite, who was beaten nine lengths when finishing third to second-time starter Kenny Be in an Oct. 26 maiden race.

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Trainer Jeremiah Englehart said Sir Kartrite carries a lot of condition and probably needed his first race. Even going into his second start Englehart was uncertain if Sir Kartrite was ready to win.

“I was surprised he ran as good as he did after getting headed,” Englehart said. “I thought Manny gave him a breather around the turn, but he said no, the horse got to waiting. With no one around him he let off the gas. He fought the whole way down the stretch.”

Englehart said he was planning to give the horse a break but “he’s been training super coming out of that last race which was the determining factor to run him back.”

Sir Kartrite breaks from the outside under Franco.

Friend Ofthe Devil showed speed and retreated in two starts on dirt before he scored a front-running victory sprinting on turf Oct. 31 with blinkers off. Trainer Carlos Martin is giving him another shot on dirt in this spot.

Martin said that in his first start Friend Ofthe Devil broke slowly and rushed up into a strong pace while wide before fading. There was less of a defined excuse for his second start, which led to Martin moving the horse to turf.

“I’m hoping mentally he’s maturing and it doesn’t matter the surface,” Martin said.

Gimme Gimme won a maiden $40,000 claimer by 6 3/4 lengths in his third start.

“He’s improved enough to be competitive,” trainer David Duggan said. “His first two runs were okay, but his last race was impressive.”

Western Wolf, In the Chase, Scheduling Dude, and Saratoga Warrior complete the field.

In other allowance heats:

◗ He’s Got It and Master Freud look like the main two protagonists in race 4, a first-level allowance at seven furlongs.

◗ Races 5 and 9 are split divisions of a first-level allowance for statebred fillies going a mile. In race 5, Elliptic goes for her third straight win against perennial bridesmaid Red Burgundy and sharp maiden winner Empire Magic.

In race 9, Fast and Frisky looks to have landed in a nice spot while returning from a seven-month layoff for trainer Jorge Abreu.

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