Tricky Zippy on a roll entering Friday allowance
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Tricky Zippy has defeated New York-breds four of the last five times she has faced them on the dirt. Her lone defeat was a runner-up finish to the multiple graded stakes winner La Verdad in the Iroquois Stakes in October.
Without La Verdad in the starting gate, it stands to reason Tricky Zippy is the one to beat in Friday’s $65,000 allowance feature for New York-bred fillies and mares at Aqueduct.
The no-conditions, six-furlong allowance is one of three allowance races – and five races overall – restricted to statebreds on Friday’s nine-race program.
Those who run well in this race could come back for the $100,000 Interborough Stakes against open company Jan. 9. The next New York-bred sprint stakes for older older females on this circuit is the $100,000 Broadway in February. Isabelle and Atlantic’s Smile, one-two in last year’s Broadway, are in this field as is Willet, Dreamboat Annie, Girlaboutown, and Court Dancer.
Initially trained by Carlos Martin but moved to Jimmy Jerkens during the summer, Tricky Zippy was most impressive winning the Union Avenue Stakes on Aug. 20 at Saratoga. Her connections wheeled her back 17 days later in the Grade 2 Prioress, and she finished fifth, beaten six lengths by Cavorting, who had won the Grade 1 Test in her prior outing.
Following her 3 3/4-length defeat to La Verdad in October, Tricky Zippy won an open-company second-level allowance Nov. 22.
She breaks from post 4 and carries 122 pounds under Irad Ortiz Jr.
KEY CONTENDERS
Tricky Zippy (Last 3 Beyers: 89-81-84)
◗ Has tactical speed to sit right off the pace, which figures to be set by Atlantic’s Smile.
◗ With regular rider John Velazquez in Florida, Ortiz picks up the mount. Over the last two years, Ortiz has ridden four winners from 12 starters for Jerkens with a return on investment of $2.33.
◗ Worked a solid half-mile in 48 seconds last week over the Belmont training track.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Trippy Zippy. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens is 8-4-0-2 over the past two years in sprints on the inner dirt a Aqueduct. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
Isabelle (Last 3 Beyers: 61-71-87)
◗ Won an allowance race and the Broadway over the inner track last year before finishing fifth in the Correction.
◗ Went to the sidelines due to ankle issues, according to Leanna Willaford, assistant to trainer Bill Mott.
◗ Finished seventh in the Iroquois, her first race in seven months. Willaford said she displaced her soft palate in that race, which cut off her airway.
“She didn’t like it down inside there,” Willaford said. “I think we’ll draw a line through that one. She’s working good and she looks fantastic.”
Willet (Last 3 Beyers: 78-79-86)
◗ Soon-to-be 8-year-old mare finished right behind Tricky Zippy in the Iroquois and Union Avenue earlier this year.
◗ Her lone win in 2015 came in the Interborough on New Year’s Day over the inner track.
◗ Cornelio Velasquez will become the ninth jockey to ride Willet.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Willet. Owns a lifetime record of 12-8-2-2 in dirt sprints when bet down to favoritism at post-time (11-1-5-3 in dirt sprints when not favored). Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Atlantic’s Smile. Trainer Charlie Baker is 20-8-6-2 with a $3.71 ROI over the past five years going turf to dirt in sprints on the NYRA circuit. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan