Spiced Perfection tries one-turn mile in Go for Wand

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When Spiced Perfection failed to attain her reserve at the Keeneland November sale four weeks ago, the decision was made by her connections to race the multiple Grade 1 winner another year. As it happens, Spiced Perfection is not yet done with this year.

Spiced Perfection looks to be a strong favorite in a six-horse field entered for Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Go for Wand Handicap at Aqueduct. In fact, she may be a single on a lot of Empire 6 tickets, a wager whose entire pool must be distributed on Saturday. The Empire 6 began Thursday’s card with a $520,913 carryover.

Spiced Perfection won the Grade 1 La Brea for 3-year-old fillies last December at Santa Anita. This year, she won the Grade 1 Madison and the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America, both at Keeneland. In her most recent start, Spiced Perfection finished fourth to Covfefe in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita.

Trainer Peter Miller said that Spiced Perfection got stepped on in the TCA Stakes, which led to a foot injury known as a grabbed quarter. She missed a work heading into the Breeders’ Cup, Miller said.

“She missed some training. I think it caught up with her. I still thought she ran well all things considered,” Miller said.

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Following the sale, Spiced Perfection vanned to Churchill where she put in two workouts. Spiced Perfection finished second in her only try at a mile, that around two turns at Los Alamitos in 2017.

“I think she’ll get the one-turn mile,” said Miller, who has Javier Castellano to ride.

The Go for Wand does appear to lack pace, but Spiced Perfection won the Madison racing close to the lead.

If it’s not Spiced Perfection, then any of the other five runners could step up and pull an upset. Another Broad, trained by Todd Pletcher, is coming off a runner-up finish to Golden Award in the Turnback the Alarm here going 1 1/8 miles on Nov. 2. Pletcher feels Another Broad is better around two turns than one.

Our Super Nova is coming off three straight solid efforts, two wins and a head loss to Rajatkowski in the Empire Distaff Handicap, a one-turn mile race.

“That was her best race so far,” trainer Charlton Baker said. “I think she wanted a little more distance all along. This is a chance to go long and a chance to get a piece of a graded stakes.”

Needs Supervision wheels back one week after winning the Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel by 3 1/4 lengths.

“It’s a smaller field this time. It’s a graded stakes. We don’t have much else lined up for her so we’re going to take a shot,” said trainer Jeremiah O’Dwyer, who was able to get Jose Ortiz to ride.

Saguaro Row, winner of the Pumpkin Pie Stakes going seven furlongs here on Nov. 9, and Espresso Shot, a multiple stakes winner over Aqueduct’s main track, complete the field.

Clement seeks turf sweep

The New York Racing Association is hoping to squeeze in the final two turf stakes of the year – the $150,000 Winter Memories and the $125,000 Autumn Days – on Saturday. The Winter Memories was scrapped when the Thanksgiving Day card was canceled. The Autumn Days was slated for Dec. 1, but was never carded.

Trainer Christophe Clement has a chance to sweep both stakes. In the Winter Memories, for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, Clement sends out Feel Glorious and Sorrentina Lemon.

Feel Glorious won the Memories of Silver Stakes here in April ,and though she is winless since then, she finished second in the Grade 2 Sands Point last out.

“She ran every dance this year, but the filly’s doing well,” Christophe Loriuel, assistant to Clement, said Thursday. “Question mark on the soft turf. She’ll probably be stalking or mid-pack.”

Junior Alvarado rides from the rail.

Sorrentina Lemon is 2 for 2 and most recently scratched out of an allowance race at Churchill when that race came off the turf.

“She’ll probably be on the lead or just stalking,” Lorieul said.

Joel Rosario rides from an outside draw.

The Winter Memories drew eight runners for turf plus three main-track-only entrants.

Other contenders on turf include Tuned, an allowance winner at Keeneland for Graham Motion; Atomic Blonde, winner of two straight on turf, both for Todd Pletcher; and Shelter Island, a debut winner on Sept. 21 for Chad Brown.

Team Win, Monaco Princess, and Jennemily were entered to run only if the race is moved to dirt.

In the Autumn Days, for females at six furlongs, Clement sends out Rose Flower, who finished third in the Christiecat Stakes at Belmont on Sept. 6 before winning a second-level allowance race on Oct. 24.

“I think the first race maybe [Manny] Franco moved a bit too soon,” Lorieul said. “She’s a filly that likes to track and then come on at the last minute.”

Joel Rosario rides Rose Flower from post 3.

Trainer Wesley Ward has the uncoupled entry of Mentality and Moonlight Romance. Mentality won a second-level allowance at Belmont on Sept. 27. Moonlight Romance returns to turf for the first time since she finished last in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs 13 months ago.

There are six horses entered for the main track, but most of them also entered back in Sunday’s $100,000 Garland of Roses Stakes, scheduled for six furlongs on the dirt.