Toxic Gray, Mama's Gold look to build on first wins
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Toxic Gray and Mama’s Gold will both try to validate their somewhat surprising last-out victories when they head a field of nine entered in a starter allowance/optional $50,000 claimer on Sunday’s nine-race Aqueduct card.
The six-furlong race is for 3-year-olds who have started for a claiming price of $50,000 or less.
On Dec. 30, Toxic Gray started for $40,000 at Tampa Bay Downs and finished second at odds of 43-1. Purchased privately by a group that included Christopher Borducci, George Raymond, and David Berley out of that race, Toxic Gray was moved to New York and trainer Mike Miceli.
Impressed enough by Toxic Gray’s training, Miceli entered him in a maiden special weight race. He hooked up with heavily-bet first-time starter Everso Mischievous and outgamed that one by a head to the wire, the duo finishing 12 1/2-lengths clear of the third-place finisher. Toxic Gray earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.
“Each breeze he got better and stronger,” Miceli said. “He gave me the signal that he’s not a maiden claimer, to try him maiden special. That’s where he wound up, and he delivered that day. He fought it out gamely; he didn’t have the best trip in the world. He had to come wide and he hooked that horse of Brad Cox’s at the eighth pole and he ran very game.”
Miceli said there were offers after that race to sell Toxic Gray, but the current ownership turned them down. Miceli said he likes the way Toxic Gray has worked since his victory, and it looks like he could work out a nice stalking trip from post 6 under Eric Cancel.
“He doesn’t have to be on the lead, he showed that the other day. He’s got good positional speed,” Miceli said.
That Mama’s Gold won a maiden $25,000 claiming race on Jan. 21 was no surprise as the class-dropping son of Bolt d’Oro was the 2-5 favorite. That Mama’s Gold won by 21 1/4 lengths was likely more than trainer Chad Summers expected when he dropped the claim slip.
Mama’s Gold, who has breezed three times since his victory, will have seven-pound apprentice Madison Olver aboard for Sunday’s race.
East Coast Girl won a maiden $40,000 claiming race on the front end by 11 1/4 lengths on Jan. 27. The son of Laoban has improved with the addition of blinkers and figures to be part of the pace under Jose Gomez. East Coast Girl goes out for trainer Kelly Breen, who entered the weekend with 997 career victories.
Camm’ Duke finished 22 1/2 lengths behind Mama’s Gold on Jan. 21 and then came back Feb. 11 to win a maiden $25,000 claimer by 11 1/4 lengths under Abner Adorno for trainer Jim Ryerson.
Paros won a maiden $40,000 claimer on Feb. 12 by 13 3/4 lengths for trainer Linda Rice. He goes out Sunday for Adam Rice because Linda Rice wasn’t eligible to enter horses on Thursday, even though it was one day after her 10-day suspension for a medication positive was completed. Linda Rice said that she was informed by the stewards that she had to be in the barn for one day before being allowed to enter.
Adam Rice also sends out Valenzan Day, who looks to rebound off a last-place finish in the Jerome Stakes on Jan. 7. Valenzan Day won a similar race as this on Dec. 4 and was claimed for $50,000.
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