Aqueduct
Thankful possible for Heavenly Prize
Chelsea Durand Thankful (7) returned $7.90 with Sunday's victory in the Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct.
Thankful, winner of the Ladies Handicap on Jan. 17, will likely make her next start in the $125,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational going a one-turn mile here at Aqueduct on March 6, trainer Todd Pletcher said.
While Pletcher said he would prefer to keep Thankful racing around two turns - the Ladies was run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns - he said the only immediate option to do that would be to take her to Laurel for the Nellie Morse Stakes on Feb. 13. Maryland restrictions require shippers to be on the grounds three days before they race.
“She likes her own stall,” Pletcher said.
The Heavenly Prize could be a steppingstone to the $100,000 Top Flight Invitational, a 1 1/8-mile race run here on April 10.