NY Stallion Series- Great White Way ($500.000 Purse)
AQU- For Two Year Olds Foaled in NY
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
December 16, 2023

As 2023 comes to a close, I would like to thank everyone who has read my previews and recaps over the past year and hope that it has added to your virtual racing experience in some way. This coverage of the Great White Way, a fantastic event for two-year-old NY-Breds is my final race of the year. I look forward to covering the races next year but will take the time to enjoy my holiday break. Now then, for the Great White Way and it’s $500.000 purse that it offers. What a great way to finish off the year if you can get the winner’s share of that! Past winners include Giants Victory and Bronx Bomber, a couple of fitting names to win a big race at AQU! In 2020, Oleg made a statement by winning the race as a maiden, and last year it was Timeless getting it done for D J C Racing Stables. He would run in the PRK but did have a quiet year overall but back-to-back wins in overnights right now may mean that he should not be written off yet. The gate is full for this year’s event, so let’s take a look through the field!

#1- Creepy Romantic (Broken Spoke Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- Picked up cheaply in private sales for just $5.000 after going winless and his first three starts. Broken Spoke saw the gelding differently than his prior trainer, and after a month and a half, raced him for the first time, moving him to the main track right here at the Big A where he broke his maiden against NY-Breds. He has nice works, so why not see if he can make this next step forward.

#2- Lightning (Smokey Stover, ridden by I Castillo)- In his second start, he broke his maiden right here on the turf course and will be looking to score a much bigger win here. I really like how he has been working, both on the dirt and on the turf but right now you have to see what a horse can do on the main track. The move may have been to be made, but I wish this one wasn’t a gelding. I find him very appealing not only in this race, but going forward into his three-year-old season.

#3- Back To Reality (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J C Ferrer)- He is out of Basil, who is out of Pumpernickel Basil, who was the dam of Timeless: the winner of this race last year. If you want to believe that Back To Reality can win this race, then don’t look at his last work. Instead, you can focus on the way he ran in his last race, breaking his maiden at CD. He’s been inconsistent in four starts, which also may explain that work. If he is hit and miss, then maybe Timeless can motivate him to be a hit in this one.

#4- Gaslight (Mb Stables, ridden by F Prat)- After finishing second in his debut race, Gaslight was sent to the $100.000 Notebook right here last month and broke his maiden that way. In that, he was especially impressive in the stretch, and that should bode well for him when we talk about the stretch here at AQU and the seventh furlong that he will run. In that, he beat out Turbo at the wire, and will not have to look far to see that one again. Gaslight figures to have a strong future and must strongly be considered for the top spot in this race.

#5- Turbo (Arindel, ridden by E Jaramillo)- A loyal participant in NY-bred races throughout his four-race career. That’s only seen one win, which came at BEL in June, but after a flat performance at SAR for the Funny Cide, he bounced back by running second to Gaslight in the Notebook. This very nicely bred colt has the pedigree for great success, but it’s still somewhat important for him to follow up the Notebook run with another strong performance here.

#6- Ocean Storm (Riggins Racing, ridden by Jam Rodriguez)- If you thought you just saw this one run here a couple weeks ago, you are not mistaken. After a dud in the BC Juvenile, which can always be forgiven, he made a trip here for the Grade 2 Remsen and was a non-factor here. Sure, we can make the case that this might not be as strong of a field, but even if you feel that way, this field is not much of a drop off. With just two weeks of rest, and I know it can still happen, I have to look elsewhere. I’d be more willing to look his way if he was better in the Remsen.

#7- John Crow Dem (Night Rider Stables, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- Everything was going great for this horse in his first three races, winning two of them, including the $200.000 Funny Cide at the Spa. Then, he was moved to the turf. He didn’t show much in the Futurity but was still eligible for the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint and was outclassed there. Thankfully, he returns to the main track for the Great White Way, which call into question how much we want to disregard to two turf races and go back to where he was in late August, which was in a very good place.

#8- One Beer (South Shore Stables, ridden by D Cabrera)- Won on debut one the first day that two-year-olds were able to race, but has not been back to the winner’s circle since. After two mediocre starts, he was better in the $100.000 Aspirant Stakes at FL, running third there but beaten two lengths. He’s been idle since, which should help him out in the long run. This is not a horse to rule out, but against this company he must be at his best.

#9- Summer In The City (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by P Husbands)- I’m not really able to get excited about this horse. He’s won once in four starts, coming at FL in October, but turned out a dud at PRX in an allowance thereafter. You can look at his works and clearly see why the trainer believes in him, but if I was going to put money on a D J C horse, it would be Back To Reality. Never know how much a two-year-old can develop from race to race, though, especially when the work times seem to be there.

#10- Hallelujah (Smokey Stover, ridden by D Davis)- My first impression of this one was that I was surprised to see this name back in circulation. A previous Hallelujah raced from 2011-2017, won close to $2,000.000 and multiple Grade 1’s. (by HRP rule, it must be at least $2,000.000 in earnings for name retirement). No offense to this horse, but thumbs down to the game for not protecting the name. This horse is showing plenty of potential, with one win in four starts, but also ran well in the $200.000 Sleepy Hollow, placing third. Can he be as good as the more well known Hallelujah? That will take a while to decipher, but this colt certainly has a decent shot.

#11- Stamp And Go (Night Rider Stables, ridden by B J Hernandez)- Won two our of three races, and had a better time of handling the turf than his stablemate did as he won the OT Juvenile Turf at DMR in December. Following that, it was back to the main track, where he ran second in the $200.000 Sleepy Hollow last month. If you’re wondering, that was won by Doc Rivers, and he is not here (ran in the Remsen).

#12- Hound Dog (Threshold, ridden by M E Smith)- These are the types of races that a maiden can win, and Oleg proved that in 2020. Hound Dog is also the type of maiden that you don’t worry about, as he has been second in four of his five starts. Three of those races are stakes, including the $200.000 Funny Cide where he barely missed on, as well as the $200.000 NY Breeders Futurity. I like that consistency, and eventually he will break out and get that win.

Prediction: 2-12-4-7

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded