Uncle Sigh, Send It In bring touch of class to Wednesday feature
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Few would have raised an eyebrow had Send It In and Uncle Sigh showed up in the entries for Thursday’s $100,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes at Aqueduct. Instead, the connections of both horses opted for the more conservative route, and those two are the main protagonists in Wednesday’s $59,000, second-level allowance feature for statebreds.
A full field of 12 was entered for the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up. Four of the 12 were entered for the optional claiming price of $40,000.
On Nov. 7, Uncle Sigh defeated Send It In by a head in a first-level allowance race going a mile over the main track. Uncle Sigh was making his first start for trainer Bill Mott after being bought by Adam Wachtel, Nils Brous, and Michael Dubb.
While Uncle Sigh has not run since, Send It In came back to clear the first-level statebred condition by six lengths on Dec. 5, also going a one-turn mile over the main track.
“The more time we’ve had him, the more experience he’s gotten, the more mature he’s gotten,” said Byron Hughes, the Belmont-based assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher. “It’s all come together for him.”
Send It In, who will break from post 8 under Manny Franco, has since come back with a half-mile work in 48.60 seconds, the fastest of 23 moves over Belmont’s training track on Dec. 23.
KEY CONTENDERS
Send It In (Last 3 Beyers: 95-86-86)
◗ Improving 3-year-old has won two of his last three starts, with a head loss to Uncle Sigh sandwiched in between. Had a wider trip than did Uncle Sigh in that race and did not change leads through the stretch.
◗ Has won around two turns, taking a maiden race at Saratoga going 1 1/8 miles.
“The farther he goes, the better he is,” Hughes said.
Uncle Sigh (Last 3 Beyers: 86-70-86)
◗ Uncle Sigh returns to the inner track, where as a 2-year-old he won a statebred maiden race by 14 1/2 lengths. At 3, he finished second in both the Withers and Gotham, both Grade 3 races, which helped him earn a spot in the 2014 Kentucky Derby.
“He obviously has good inner-track form; we were looking for that,” said Leana Willaford, assistant to Mott. “He looks fabulous. Hopefully, he runs as good as he looks.”
◗ Jose Ortiz rides from post 6.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Uncle Sigh. Trainer Bill Mott is 28-14-3-2 with a $2.63 ROI over the past five years with last-out winners on the Aqueduct inner dirt track. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Pretension (Last 3 Beyers: 74-72-82)
◗ The proverbial horse for course, with three wins and a second from five starts over the inner track.
◗ Won at this condition last March over a muddy track. Rain was in the forecast for Tuesday.
◗ Trainer Linda Rice has a 3-4-3 record from her last 10 starters at Aqueduct.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Beyond Empire. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is 13-8-3-2 with a $3.50 ROI over the past two years in routes on the Aqueduct inner dirt track with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan