Spiked keeps blinkers on, gets more ground
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Spiked will look to build on her improved performance with blinkers added last time out when she stretches out to 1 1/8 miles in Thursday’s featured first-level allowance/optional $45,000 claiming race at Aqueduct.
Spiked, a daughter of Unified trained by John Terranova for Curragh Stables, finished second to the repeating winner Spooky Road in this condition going a one-turn mile Nov. 25. That was her first start with blinkers and was certainly an upgrade over her fifth-place finish in the slop on Oct. 2.
“She seemed like she was getting a little bit lost before that,” said Tonja Terranova, assistant to her husband, John. “We had trained her a little in [blinkers] in Saratoga.”
In her lone start going 1 1/8 miles, Spiked finished second in a first-level allowance race to Fingal’s Cave, who was winning her third consecutive race to begin her career. Fingal’s Cave came back to win the Fleet Indian Stakes for New York-breds before finishing second in the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes.
Since her runner-up finish in that Nov. 25 race, Spiked “is doing great,” Tonja Terranova said. “She’s definitely progressing and going the right direction and couldn’t be training any better for this.”
Spiked also will have the services of Manny Franco, who has ridden 12 winners from his last 21 mounts at Aqueduct, including a NYRA record-tying six-win performance last Friday.
Spiked will have to face a field of mostly multiple winners, including the New York-bred Caragate, Mid-Atlantic shipper Mercy Mercy, and the Rudy Rodriguez-trained entry of Suspended Campaign and Baby Man.
Caragate, a three-time winner versus New York-breds, is coming out of a win going a one-turn mile against restricted company Dec. 1. She does own a win at 1 1/8 miles, having taken a statebred allowance in Saratoga.
Dylan Davis rides for Mitch Friedman.
Mercy Mercy, a 7-year-old daughter of Mucho Macho Man, went 5 for 8 in 2022 and brings a three-race winning streak into this. She was claimed for $25,000 out of a winning race on Oct. 10 at Santa Anita by owners JFX Racing and trainer Craig Dollase. She was moved by JFX to Michael Jones at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. Jones sent Mercy Mercy out for a 3 1/2-length victory in a starter allowance on Dec. 21 at Parx Racing.
Suspended Campaign finished fourth in the same Nov. 25 race in which Spiked was second. Two starts later, she won for $32,000 and was claimed out of that race by Rodriguez for owner Michael Dubb. This is her first start for them.
Rodriguez and Dubb also send out Baby Man, a three-time winner who is the only member of this field in for the $45,000 claiming price. She looks to be a pace factor from the outside in this nine-horse field.
With an eight-race program Thursday, first post is 12:50 p.m.
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