Wet track, fast pace favors Full Moon Madness in John Nerud
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The potential of a wet track and the likelihood of a fast pace could give Full Moon Madness the edge over One Nine Hundred when those two meet again in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 John Nerud Stakes at Aqueduct.
Full Moon Madness and One Nine Hundred faced each other in the Grade 3 Tom Fool on Feb. 28 where Full Moon Madness was beaten a nose by Bold Journey but finished second by three-quarters of a length over One Nine Hundred, the 2-5 favorite in that six-furlong race.
Full Moon Madness sat just off the pace, which was contested by One Nine Hundred and Breslau. One Nine Hundred opened up a clear lead in midstretch but couldn’t see it out while being overtaken by Full Moon Madness, who lost a nose bob to Bold Journey.
“I thought that kid [Reylu Gutierrez] gave him a great ride. I hope he can do it again,” said Michelle Nevin, the trainer of Full Moon Madness.
Full Moon Madness likes to be close to the pace, but he is not most effective being on the lead.
“Happy to have something to run at,” Nevin said. “He doesn’t want to be rushed early, let him get him in his game his way.”
Speed is One Nine Hundred’s game. His three wins have come when he’s led at every point of call. He will have to contend with the speed of Silver Slugger, a horse who has won 12 of 19 starts and who finished second in this race at 12-1 last year.
Tom Morley, the trainer of One Nine Hundred, seemed less concerned about other speed being in the race as he was the chance of rain that was a late addition to the forecast.
“I would appreciate the opportunity to see him on a genuine fast track because I feel [a wet track] probably cost him the race last time,” Morley said. “He is a horse who hates any moisture in the track at all and is significantly better without it.”
Flavien Prat rides One Nine Hundred from post 5 in this six-horse field.
Durante, showed speed in an allowance race at Keeneland on April 17, when he was soundly beaten by Illuminare while finishing four lengths clear of Bold Journey.
Acoustic Ave finished fourth in the Tom Fool and fifth in the Grade 2 Carter. Radio Red comes off two victories to begin his year, including a three-quarter-length score in the Haynesfield, a one-mile race for New York-breds.
Take the A Train
One More Guitar took advantage of a fast pace to win a maiden turf sprint at Fair Grounds two months ago and Saturday her connections will hope for a similar setup when she runs in the $175,000 Take the A Train Stakes, a six-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-old fillies
One More Guitar was eighth and last, some 11 lengths back, when she rolled past the field in the stretch to win by three lengths. She was trained by Al Stall for that and a previous start at Fair Grounds, but she is now back with Tom Proctor, who sent her out for her first four starts.
“She ran pretty good when we gave her to Al Stall. We’ll see how she runs for me,” Proctor said. “She does need a little run down the lane and Fair Grounds has a long lane, it’s better. It looks like she wants to be a closing sprinter.”
Kendrick Carmouche rides One More Guitar from the rail.
Cadenza, trained by Brad Cox, beat One More Guitar when both made their turf debuts at Saratoga last Aug. 28. Cadenza has raced solely over Turfway Park’s synthetic surface winning an allowance and finishing second in the Serena’s Song Stakes.
Just Philtored, in from Maryland for Michael Trombetta, won a restricted turf stakes last summer at Colonial Downs. She has not been out since a runner-up finish in the Gin Talking Stakes on dirt at Laurel last December.
Emblaze was an off-the-pace debut winner going five furlongs on turf at Tampa Bay Downs in March. The Miguel Clement trainee would certainly benefit from some pace.
Kingsolver, winner of the Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga last summer, gets blinkers on for her turf debut in this, her seventh career start. Flavien Prat rides for Rodolphe Brisset.
Pillar of Beauty, Alpenglow, and Sweet Montreal complete the field.
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