Weather delays Saturday stakes shippers

The blizzard that struck the Northeast on Sunday into Monday will delay the arrival of many horses scheduled to run in Saturday stakes at Aqueduct.

Horses expected to arrive by van from Florida – such as Iron Honor and Hammond for the Gotham and Nycon, Blazing Brat, Current Yield, and Paradise for the Busher – had their travel pushed back by at least one day. Instead of leaving Monday, those horses were now hopeful of leaving on Tuesday, arriving in New York on Wednesday.

Trainer Joe Sharp was planning to van Creole Chrome from New Orleans to Kentucky and then on to New York. After consulting with owner Kirk Wycoff, however, Sharp said the decision was made to stay at Fair Grounds and run Creole Chrome in a Louisiana-bred stakes on Saturday.

Trainer Chad Brown has Iron Honor (Gotham) and Current Yield (Busher), while Whit Beckman has Busher entrants Nycon and Blazing Brat. Beckman was hopeful of his fillies arriving Wednesday from Payson Park in order to get them out to train on Thursday and Friday in New York.

“If not, I might have to rethink everything,” said Beckman, who has Blazing Brat entered in Saturday’s Davona Dale at Gulfstream.

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