Today's Flavor back with statebreds after strong run in Carter
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After taking a well-earned shot and running respectably well in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap three weeks ago, Today’s Flavor drops back in with New York-breds in Sunday’s $100,000 Affirmed Success Stakes, the closing-day feature at the Aqueduct spring meet.
Today’s Flavor strung together four consecutive wins – three in statebred company – by a combined 27 lengths from November through February, which led to the 5-year-old gelding by Laoban running in the Carter.
Breaking from the rail that day, Today’s Flavor set the pace, running a quarter in 22.40 seconds and a half-mile in 44.84, first chased by Expressman and then Little Vic. Today’s Flavor put away both and had a clear advantage in midstretch coming to the sixteenth pole, but was run down by Doppelganger, the longest shot on the board. Overall, Today’s Flavor was beaten 1 1/4 lengths, just a half-length for second.
“He went too fast trying to go seven furlongs,” trainer George Weaver said. “He doesn’t put you there, Manny [Franco] had to use him to put him there. He had horses putting pressure on him; hell, he dug in and fought the whole way. He was right there until the last 70 yards. I was rooting quite a ways, it wasn’t one of those times when he was done by the eighth pole.”
In addition to facing statebreds Sunday, Today’s Flavor is cutting back to six furlongs, a distance at which he has three wins and a second from four starts.
Sunday, Today’s Flavor has a much more favorable post, drawing the outside in the seven-horse field. He is 1 for 1 over a wet track, conditions that could be in play Sunday.
The 9-year-old My Boy Tate is a seven-time stakes winner in restricted company, but he has never run in the Affirmed Success. Perhaps that’s because the race has typically been run at Belmont Park, where My Boy Tate has run poorly in three career starts. This year, the Affirmed Success, is being held at Aqueduct because the meet is one week longer than usual.
My Boy Tate, trained, bred, and partly owned by Michelle Nevin, hasn’t run since Jan. 8 when he finished fourth in the Say Florida Sandy Stakes.
Sheriff Bianco, trained by Linda Rice, wheels back a week after winning an off-the-turf second-level allowance. That race was run over a sloppy track, Sheriff Bianco’s third win from as many starts over a wet track.
Jose Ortiz rides from post 2.
Listentoyourheart, a 6-year-old gelding by Afleet Alex is coming off a strong 6 3/4-length second-level allowance win for New York-breds in which he earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.
Trainer Ray Handal said he’s not definite to run, with perhaps an open-company allowance race as an alternative.
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Amundson was reclaimed by Rob Atras for $62,500 out of a winning effort last out when he beat Happy Farm, who came back to capture his 13th career victory in his next start.
Lobsta, second in last year’s Affirmed Success and Scocciatore complete the field.
Following Sunday’s card, racing on this circuit moves to Belmont Park for a 40-day meet that begins Thursday.
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