Successful siblings show stakes potential

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Half-siblings Flash Trading and Not Taken have combined to win three of their last five starts, and both seem headed for stakes action in their next starts, according to trainer John Terranova.

On Feb. 4, Flash Trading got up in the final stride to nail Gift Box by a nose in a second-level allowance race going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct. It was the second win from three starts for Flash Trading since Terranova and the Gatsas Stable claimed him for $32,000 last September at Saratoga.

Flash Trading is a 6-year-old gelding by Broken Vow out of the stakes-placed mare Spelling. Flash Trading has a win and two seconds in one-turn races since the claim.

“That’s what I liked about him bringing him back to New York, we had a lot of those long one-turn races that I thought might suit him because he’s kind of a grinder and didn’t always get the pace setup,” Terranova said.

Flash Trading is eligible for the $80,000 Karakorum Elektra, part of New York Claiming Championship Day on March 31. Terranova said the $150,000 Stymie here March 10 also is a consideration.

Another reason Terranova claimed Flash Trading was because he trained his half-sister, Not Taken. In a span of 17 days last November, Not Taken won a first-level allowance race and was beaten a nose in the Forever Together Stakes, both turf races at Aqueduct. Since she previously has run well on dirt, Terranova said he is pointing Not Taken, a 5-year-old daughter of Arch, to the Maryland Racing Media Stakes on dirt Feb. 17 at Laurel. Spelling won three dirt races at Laurel and was third to Xtra Heat in the 2003 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel.

“Everything out of that mare I’ve watched has gotten good as they’ve gotten a little bit older,” Terranova said.