Streaking Dr Ardito steps up to stakes in Haynesfield
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The usual suspects in the New York-bred older male dirt division will be in the starting gate Monday for the $100,000 Haynesfield Stakes at Aqueduct. But it could be a newcomer to the statebred stakes ranks that is the one to beat.
Dr Ardito brings a five-race winning streak into the Haynesfield, when he makes his stakes debut against veterans Bankit, Wudda U Think Now, and Sea Foam in the one-mile race. Full Moon Fever, like Dr Ardito, is slated to make his stakes debut in this spot.
It has taken 22 months for Dr Ardito to win his five races. Plagued by ankle issues that forced trainer Chad Brown to stop on the 5-year-old gelding a few times, Dr Ardito came off an eight-month layoff to run down stablemate Nabokov and win a seven-furlong, second-level allowance by a head on Jan. 19.
“Unfortunately, he’s had some stops and go along the way, but we’ve been patient with him. He’s good and healthy now. It’s time to get him into stakes company,” said Brown, who trains Dr Ardito for Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb.
While Dr Ardito will be making his stakes debut, Bankit will be making his 33rd start in a stakes race. The 7-year-old son of Central Banker trained by Steve Asmussen has won stakes each of the first five years he has raced and is coming off a third-place finish behind Wudda U Think Now in the seven-furlong Say Florida Sandy Stakes.
“Maybe we have a fresher horse that doesn’t have as many hard races on him,” Brown said about Dr Ardito taking on Bankit. “On the other hand, I respect the established class level, experience, and consistency of a horse like Bankit. Those horses can often be difficult in races.”
Wudda U Think Now is coming off consecutive stakes victories in the Alex M. Robb, at a mile, and the Say Florida Sandy, at seven furlongs. Wudda U Think Now is 3 for 5 since trainer Rudy Rodriguez equipped him with blinkers.
“He was kind of breaking a little slow,” Rodriguez said. “With the blinkers, he’s gotten himself a little more involved early. It’s helping him.”
Rodriguez said, provided a clean start, he expects Dylan Davis to have Wudda U Think Now in front early on.
“That’s his best weapon, when he’s comfortable on the lead,” Rodriguez said.
Sea Foam is another who prefers to be forward. He got bumped at the start of the Alex M. Robb and wound up chasing Wudda U Think Now around the track before settling for second. Most recently, he finished fifth behind Law Professor in the Queens County, a 1 1/8-mile race in which he contested the early pace.
Full Moon Fever, trained by Mark Hennig for Windylea Farm, has done his best running from off the pace. Eric Cancel rides him from the rail.
The Haynesfield goes as race 6 on an eight-race program that begins at 1:20 p.m.
Following Monday’s card, Aqueduct will race Fridays through Sundays for the next five weeks.
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