Six fillies meet in Niagara Stakes

The late stallion City Zip, who began his stud career in New York before moving to Kentucky, has been active in this season’s 3-year-old picture with his son Improbable. His 3-year-old granddaughters will be active in his former state of residence on Monday. Three of the six entrants in the $50,000 Niagara Stakes for New York-bred fillies at Finger Lakes are by sons of City Zip.

Stonesintheroad and Cartwheelin Lulu, who are 9-5 and 5-2, respectively, on the morning line, are by City Zip’s Grade 1-winning son Bustin Stones, a top 10 general sire in New York who stands at Waldorf Farm. Elegant Zip is by Run Away and Hide, who stands at Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky.

The front-running Stonesintheroad has drawn the rail for the Niagara, with Rajiv Maragh, aboard for all five of her starts, named to ride for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. Stonesintheroad won her first three career starts, including the Franklin Square Stakes in February at Aqueduct, by a combined 14 lengths before finishing third in the Cicada Stakes against open company. She was then eighth in the New York Stallion Stakes in April at Aqueduct, in which she stepped beyond six furlongs for the first time to 6 ½ furlongs, and caught a sloppy track. The Niagara is run at six furlongs.

Cartwheelin Lulu will be making her first start since December, and her first for trainer Linda Rice – who conditioned City Zip – as the filly was transferred to her barn from Englehart. Cartwheelin Lulu was a debut winner last August at Finger Lakes before winning the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes against statebreds at Belmont. She was most recently third in the New York Stallion Stakes in December at Aqueduct. Jaime Rodriguez is named to ride.

Elegant Zip, trained and co-owned by David Donk, is the most experienced member of the field, with a record of 9-2-2-3. That record includes four stakes placings against statebreds, including a third behind Cartwheelin Lulu in the Gimma. She was most recently fourth in the Bouwerie Stakes on May 27 at Belmont.

The field is completed by Miss Lily B and Twice for Honey, each coming off an allowance win at Finger Lakes, and Wait a Minute, who was stakes-placed at Finger Lakes last October, but is making her first start of the year.

Presque Isle Downs

Lanier and Wellabled meet in the $100,000 Karl Boyes Memorial for 3-year-olds and up going 5 1/2 furlongs at Presque Isle Downs on Monday.

Lanier is trained by Brett Santangelo, who claimed him last fall. He finished second in the Kentucky Cup Classic in March at Turfway Park before winning the Grade 3 Hanshin Cup at a mile in May at Arlington.

Wellabled, a Grade 3 winner as a juvenile in 2016, returned from a layoff of more than a year last month at Arlington, wiring an optional claiming field by nine lengths. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 109.