Staten Island distance not ideal for favored Super Surprise
The Staten Island division of the New York Stallion Stakes at Aqueduct on Sunday has drawn a field of 11, with Super Surprise a heavy favorite in the restricted stakes for fillies and mares. To win, she’ll need her best, since the seven-furlong distance of the Staten Island looks a little short for her and she is drawn inside in post 2.
The $125,000 Staten Island is the headliner on a nine-race card which also includes three allowance races – two for New York-breds and another for open company – and three statebred maiden races.
Super Surprise races for Mike Repole and is trained by Todd Pletcher. She is one of five 3-year-old fillies in the field. Other 3-year-old contenders include Wonderment, the probable second choice in the betting, and Highway Star.
Super Surprise comes into the Staten Island on a three-race winning streak, which began when she scored her first victory in the $250,000 Maid of the Mist going a mile at Aqueduct in October 2015. She resurfaced at Saratoga this summer, winning a first-level statebred allowance at six furlongs before scoring by four lengths in the $200,000 Fleet Indian at 1 1/8 miles. Like Highway Star, she was entered and scratched from the Empire Classic Distaff at Belmont Park on Oct. 22, a 1 1/16-mile that was run over a sloppy track.
Super Surprise has closed from off the pace in all of her victories and there is plenty of speed in the Staten Island to set her up. Jockey John Velazquez’s job will be to find a clear path in this bulky field and to get her rolling in time.
Highway Star races for her breeders, Chester and Mary Broman. The Bromans employ several trainers, including Mike Hushion, Jimmy Jerkens, and John Kimmel. Since 2009, they have sent a couple of horses each year to Rodrigo Ubillo, the trainer of Highway Star.
Ubillo, a 40-year-old native of Chile, has trained on his own since 2005. His best horse has been Bigger Is Bettor, who won three stakes for the Bromans between 2011 and 2013.
Ubillo has won only five races this year, but three have been with Highway Star, whose career is off to a promising start.
“She is very forward,” Ubillo said. “Every race she is getting better and better for us. We took our time with her. We were going to run her as a 2-year-old but she got too big and we decided to wait until this year.”
While Super Surprise and Wonderment figure to close from well off the pace, Highway Star has the tactical speed to track the front-runners. She might get the jump on her chief rivals.
“She has some speed,” Ubillo said. “Not speed to go to the front but to sit maybe in third or fourth and then close.”
Staten Island, Race 8
Key Contenders
Highway Star, by Girolamo
Last 3 Beyers: 83-79-61
◗ The Bromans and Ubillo have won 20 races together and have a 13 percent win average since 2009.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Highway Star. Has a lifetime record of 4-3-0-1 on dirt. Trainer Rodrigo Ubillo has a record of 60-1-3-11 over the past year on dirt with other horses. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
Super Surprise, by Giant Surprise
Last 3 Beyers: 86-86-67
◗ She beat third-place Highway Star by four lengths in the Fleet Indian at Saratoga.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Super Surprise. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 25-8-5-6 with a $3.55 ROI over the past five years going route to sprint on dirt with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Wonderment, by Cosmonaut
Last 3 Beyers: 82-80-51
◗ Trained by Ken McPeek, she was second behind 2-5 favorite Quezon in the Iroquois, a 6 1/2-furlong race on Empire Classic Day. Quezon, in her three prior starts, had finished second to the top sprinters Paulassilverlining, Hot City Girl, and Haveyougoneaway.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Hey Kiddo. Trainer Ramon Preciado is 55-4-7-8 with a $0.50 ROI over the past five years in all races on the NYRA circuit and 25-0-4-3 in dirt sprints there. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan