NY Stallion Series- Times Square ($200.000 Purse)
AQU- For Three Year Olds Foaled in NY
Six and a Half Furlongs on the Dirt
April 22, 2023

We get ourselves a good ol’ Smokey Stover versus Arindel duel in the 14th running of the Times Square, which is part of the NY Stallion Series. The race draws a field of seven, but those two trainers will have five of those runners. D J C Racing Stables and La Canada Racehorses have the other horses in the field and will look to play the spoiler role. In all, this is a race without a clear favorite, as there are only two horses in the field that have won over $100.000 for their careers, and no one has hit $200.000. It is also a bit of a Runyon rematch, as four come out of the race, including those that finished second through fourth. In 2022, Royalty Stables celebrated the win with Binnington, and he’s gone on to have a solid career despite bouncing around between trainers. Here’s a look at those looking to be the next name added to the list of winners!

#1- Hot Shark (Arindel, ridden by A S Worrie)- This is the highest earner in the field, making over $160.000 for his career. During that time, he has commonly been seen running in NY-bred races, including the Breeders Futurity and the Notebook last year and the Runyon this year. He’s only managed one win in those races, and that was in a $60.000 allowance here at AQU two months ago. Did not fare well in the Runyon, and that’s especially noteworthy since this race has three others that cashed a check in that race.

#2- Enjolras (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J A Gomez)- After showing promise within inconsistency as a two-year-old, there has not been much to get excited about for Enjolras in 2023. He struggled when making his graded debut in the Swale in February, but we can forgive that. It’s his last start, a $26.000 allowance at GG, where he ran sixth while being beaten by seven lengths, that is a bigger concern. He’s shown potential in the past but needs to get back to that. Regardless, I can’t pick him here off of that GG race.

#3- Freed Up (La Canada Racehorses, ridden Os Gomez)- He comes into the race hot, winning his last three, and that has seen him clear $120.000 in earnings. They weren’t the most difficult races, as two were SA claimers, but he still took care of business there and had no problem moving back into allowance company at HOU last month. Freed Up has some good works coming into the race, so he may just be a horse that needed a little more time to get going. This will be a great test for him.

#4- Bora Sin (Arindel, ridden by D Davis)- He’s more lightly raced than his stablemate, but he has been looking good thus far with a pair of wins in his four starts. All but one of those races have come here at AQU, and one of them was the $100.000 Runyon, where he finished fourth. There was nothing particularly wrong with that race, and you could throw a blanket over the second through fourth place finishers there, all of whom are running here. Bora Sin was coming on well in that race, and it was a half a furlong shorter, so more of the same may be all he needs.

#5- American Star (Smokey Stover, ridden by J Lezcano)- We have now reached the Smokey Stover portion of the starting gate, as his three horses occupy the last three posts. American Star has raced just three times but won his first two efforts. The purses in those wins were not the highest, so he had a little more to prove when he showed up at the Runyon here last month but handled it very well. American Star ran in the middle of the pack much of the way, before settling for a third place showing. He’s likely still going to get better, and I like his potential.

#6- Million Dollar Baby (Smokey Stover, ridden by T McCarthy)- Still unproven at this time, as his five starts show a lot of inconsistencies. He won on debut in April, but then had eight months off before being placed into the $500.000 Great White Way, and that would go poorly. Only hit the board in one other race since then, an allowance for NY-breds held right here. He has been better while sprinting, and it is those longer races where he has struggled. That may bode well for him, but I will look elsewhere.

#7- Starry Wonder (Smokey Stover, ridden by K Carmouche)- With so many entered here that ran in the Runyon last month, it is only natural to be attracted to the one that finished the best of them. Starry Wonder ran second to winner Prince George, who ran in the Lexington last week. Prior to that start, he broke his maiden right here against NY-breds, and has been working very well of late. In both of those races, he was on the lead early, so that may be the theme again.

Prediction: 4-3-7-5

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded