They’ll all be chasing Amulay in Top Flight
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The trio of House Rules, Joint Return, and Got Lucky figure to take the bulk of the money for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct. However, their combined record in graded stakes is an uninspiring 1 for 20.
So, instead of taking a relatively short price on one of those three, why not look for a price on a horse who figures to be in front early in the 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares? Amulay, who makes her graded stakes debut in the Top Flight, fits the bill.
A 5-year-old daughter of It’s No Joke, Amulay bounced from barn to barn while in Southern California, running for as low as $8,000. She was claimed 16 months ago by Roddy Valente and trainer Bruce Levine for $20,000. Amulay has won four of 10 starts, most recently scoring a four-length front-running victory in a second-level allowance race.
Amulay has the rail, the speed, and leading jockey Jose Ortiz in the irons and is getting six pounds from House Rules. More importantly, she could be in the 10-1 range and will give her backers a thrill early.
“They got to catch me; I’m going,” Levine said.
House Rules won the Grade 3 Rampart Stakes at Gulfstream on Feb. 21, beating Sheer Drama by 1 1/2 lengths. Perhaps she bounced when she finished second to Sheer Drama in the Grade 2 Royal Delta at Gulfstream on March 21.
Key Contenders
Amulay (Last 3 Beyers: 84-74-94)
◗ She’s about a length away from having won her last six races.
◗ The two turns and 1 1/8 miles of this race made it appealing to Levine.
“If this was one turn, I probably wouldn’t be running,” he said.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over last two years, Levine is 2 for 5 in graded stakes, with a $7.95 return on investment. Most recently, he won the Grade 2 General George with 11-1 shot Misconnect.
House Rules (Last 3 Beyers: 88-94-90)
◗ She seems to do her best running around one turn, as evidenced by her two stakes wins at Gulfstream during the winter. She did win an allowance going 1 1/8 miles around two turns last summer at Saratoga.
◗ In her most recent start, the Grade 2 Royal Delta, House Rules chased Sheer Drama. House Rules can sometimes get discouraged while chasing a modest pace.
“You could tell at the half-mile we were in trouble,” trainer Jimmy Jerkens said. “That filly was just galloping. I thought she’d be a little closer to the pace being that it wasn’t fast. Every time she put a run in, the other one had the same kind of run up in front of her.”
◗ With regular rider Javier Castellano at Keeneland on Saturday, Junior Alvarado picks up the mount.
Got Lucky (Last 3 Beyers: 80-87-81)
◗ She is winless in her seven graded stakes tries, though two of her three runner-up finishes have come in 1 1/8-mile races at Aqueduct.
◗ She finished fifth in the Grade 3 Rampart on Feb. 21, her most recent start.
“Seemed like on that particular day, [speed] wasn’t coming back much,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We were in chase mode the whole way.”