OZONE PARK, N.Y. – John Velazquez thought his best chance for success in Friday’s $135,000 Carle Place Stakes was to have his horse in a forward position. He had a more-than-willing partner in Run Carson. Sent to the front out of the gate by Velazquez, Run Carson ran fast fractions early – he went the half-mile in 43.97 seconds – and he kept on going, taking the Carle Place by two lengths over Live High Live Low. In the process, he just missed an Aqueduct inner turf course record as he covered six furlongs in 1:06.85. The course record is 1:06.72 set by Outlaw Kid in July. Velazquez said trainer Kelsey Danner didn’t give him any instructions. “I told her if he breaks I’m not going to take away what comes easy,” Velazquez said. “She was like ‘I’m not riding, you’re riding,’ she said ‘whatever you do, do.’ “ Velazquez said he knew early that Run Carson was revved. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. “He was on the bridle already,” Velazquez said. “I was like, ‘okay, don’t fight me so much.’ I had him [held] tight the best I could and I dropped to the rail and he got stronger, I was like ‘damn it, I should have stayed off the rail.’ ” Velazquez said Run Carson got a little bit of a breather nearing the quarter pole and when he asked Run Carson to run in the stretch, he complied. “It’s nice when you have a horse like this, they go fast the first part and you ask him again and they give you a little more,” Velazquez said. “It was very nice, a lot of fun.” Danner, who watched the race from Keeneland, said she figured Run Carson would be on the lead, though she was surprised to see him going that fast. “Carson likes to be up there,” Danner said. “He broke bad the other day. I thought with a clean break he’s going to be on the lead or very close to it. I was hoping he’d be going a little slower. Obviously, we were going a little bit farther today, but it gets a little speedy up there this time of year. When he was clear and didn’t have any pressure, I didn’t think he was going to stop.” Run Carson, a son of Maclean’s Music owned by Tom McCrocklin and NBS Stable, returned $8.60 to win as the third choice. Live High Live Low, a 28-1 shot, got second by three lengths over favored Works for Me, who rallied from last to be third. Little Ni, Twisted Filigree, Smokey Smokey, Typhoon Fury, Barksdale, and One Sharp Cookie completed the order of finish. Among the options for Run Carson’s next start is the $250,000 Holiday Cheer Stakes over Turfway Park’s synthetic surface on Dec. 14. Ellen Jay takes Glen Cove Ellen Jay made a successful stakes debut, taking Friday’s rescheduled $139,500 Glen Cove Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths over late-running Agra. It was 2 1/4 lengths back to Ready to Jam. Time to Dazzle was last of four. The Glen Cove was pushed back one week after the Oct. 11 card was canceled due to air quality concerns at Aqueduct associated with the re-coating of the facility’s roof. Though eight entered back in the Glen Cove only four started. Ellen Jay, under Flavien Prat, broke a half-step slow, pressed the pace established by Ready to Jam, then took over from that one in midstretch while keeping Agra, under Junior Alvarado at bay. It was the third straight victory for Ellen Jay, all since trainer Brad Cox moved the 3-year-old filly to the turf. “She didn’t break super, watching her replay she’s never been a very good gate horse,” Prat said. “It seems like she’s getting better at it, but I was happy where she was after that. She was traveling well around the turn, she took a nice breather and went on.” Ellen Jay, a daughter of Constitution and the first foal out of the female sprint champion Covfefe, covered the six furlongs over firm ground in 1:07.38 and retuned $3.70 to win. She is owned by the LNJ Foxwoods of Larry, Nanci, and Jaime Roth. “I just saw her mom on Wednesday when I was in Lexington and now to be standing here in the winner’s circle next to her first baby – that doesn’t happen,” Jaime Roth said after the race. “Being here at Aqueduct – this is home – and to be here with my dad; he thinks he’s a jinx but he wasn’t today.” For Prat, that was his 66th stakes win of the year, establishing a single-year personal best for the Frenchman who won 65 stakes in 2021. The record for most stakes wins in a year by a jockey is 79, set by Irad Ortiz Jr. in 2022. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.