NY Stallion Series- Fifth Avenue ($500.000 Purse)
AQU- For Fillies Two Years Old Foaled In NY
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
December 17, 2022

Breeding in New York is highly popular within the game, so when a $500.000 NY-bred race is on the schedule, especially involving two year olds, you better believe that the starting gate will be full, and that there will be plenty of talent within it. This year’s running of the Fifth Avenue will see two horses that ran last month in the BC Juvenile Fillies and plenty others that have been competitive at the stake level. Despite that, with several horses here still under $100.000 in career earnings, the race provides an enormous opportunity to make a strong statement within this division as they move into their three year old season. It’s the seventeenth time that the race was been run within our virtual world, and last year, crossing the finish line first was Reasoning, for Mb Stables. She is now retired, having last raced in September. Two years ago, the still active Shining Moments was the winner and that one has now accumulated over $1,000.000 in earnings. On an unrelated note, this is my final race of 2022 to write up, and I hope that my articles have added to the experience of running in these races for many of you. Now, let’s take a look at this field!

#1- Sinissippi Queen (Smokey Stover, ridden by D Davis)- This one had a strong start to her career, with three races through May leading to a maiden win for a $120.000 at CD. That’s the last time she won, but Sinissippi Queen has still turned in a couple good outings, such as running second in a PRX allowance. Now, she is going to get her first crack at stake company, and I would have to assume that if she is here, we can consider her concerning last race to be a throw out. Out of Jinxed Queen, who has been quite successful as a broodmare.

#2- Indien Rouge (Mb Stables, ridden by Ru Silvera)- One of those horses who’s name will annoy spell check features. She also annoyed her trainer with a disappointing ninth place finish at the BC Juvenile Fillies last month, but at least she was there! To get there, she ran second in the Seeking The Ante for NY-breds up at SAR and then narrowly missed out on winning the Grade 1 Frizette right after that. If that version of her shows up here, then Indien Rouge would seem to have a strong shot.

#3- The Hateful Eight (Smokey Stover, ridden by G Corrales)- A very lightly raced filly who makes just the third start of her career. Perhaps she can become the first stake winner for Breath Of The Wild as a sire, something that was not really expected to take this long. Ran last month right here, and won a State bred maiden with a solid stalking trip. Her pedigree is fantastic, as she is also out of Quiver Pond, so based on that, I would not rule her out for the long term but winning right here is more of a chore.

#4- Hot Angie (Night Rider Stables, ridden by K Carmouche)- In early August, she was up for grabs for $20.000 in a maiden claimer at SAR, and won the race. Night Rider Stables is also glad that she was never claimed, as the filly has proceeded to grow. She hit the board in both the Seeking The Ante and Lady Finger Stakes, being within a half-length of the winner in each. Her last two have been against unrestricted company, with mixed results. I like that she is back here running against NY-breds, but is going to have to find that form from September again. It could happen.

#5- Ignore Tucker (Fractious, ridden by J Loveberry)- Ignoring this filly would be a massive mistake with any wager on this race. With prior trainer La Canada Racehorses, she ran off three wins in a row, culminating in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes. Fractious was impressed and spent $1,200.000 to add her to his stable. So far, he has not seen the rewards for that, other than a fourth-place check in the Grade 2 Chandelier. Ignore Tucker did qualify for the BC Juvenile Fillies, but only beat one horse in the race. The talent is there, but it’s time for her to start paying some dividends to her new trainer.

#6- Breathe In Brooklyn (Smokey Stover, ridden by F Prat)- Pretty similar to one of her stablemates in here in that this is just her third career start. After winning on debut on April 1st, this second Breath Of The Wild filly spent nearly seven months on the farm before appearing in the $200.000 Maid Of The Mist. Despite the long layoff, she ran third in the race, and was within a quarter length of the winner. Has the looks of a secret weapon that the trainer has been waiting to unleash, and I find that very appealing in this field.

#7- Upon A Time (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by E Jaramillo)- Following her debut race, Upon A Time took part in two turf races, each at a mile, and won both of them with a style of coming from off the pace. While that will give Mo Mentum Farm confidence to put her back on the grass, if need be, this is a good time of year to see what she can do on the main track. She’ll meet tough company, but it wouldn’t take a fairy tale for her to have a happy ending.

#8- Snake Island (Night Mare Racing, ridden by J Lezcano)- So far in her career, this Slither filly has always been able to turn in a good outing at the racetrack, hitting the board in all four starts, and will now get the toughest task of her career. Not all of those starts are against elite company, but she is coming off a win in the $100.000 Key Cents, for NY breds, right here last month with a wire-to-wire effort. Works are strong, and I like her reliability as she makes this jump.

#9- Black Moon Concerto (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by Mar Garcia)- Half of her races this year have resulted in her being in the winner’s circle at the end of it, taking three of six. That’s highlighted by her last start, where she won the $100.000 Arnaz Stakes at DMR, which is also a seven-furlong race. Before that, she was a non-factor in the Grade 1 Alcibiades, her only other stake attempts. That’s the other side of her, because when she has not won, she has not even hit the board.

#10- One Liner (Mb Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- For her first five career starts, One Liner did a fantastic job, with two wins and never failing to hit the board. In September, she won the $100.000 Lady Finger at FL, and that was right after she had finished third in the $200.000 Seeking The Ante. With all going well for her, she seemed like a good option in the $200.000 Maid on the Mist in late October but came up flat. Hopefully the post was not the only reason for that, because she starts from the same spot here.

#11- Dolly P (Arindel, ridden by D Moran)- Interestingly, this one ran in the same two-furlong race at TAM on April 1st that Breathe In Brooklyn. While that one stayed idle for a while, Dolly P continued hitting the track and had a couple of good starts before breaking her maiden for $123.200 at WO. A couple of turf starts followed that were solid, but she would return to the dirt for the $200.000 Myrtlewood at KEE and won by two lengths. She’ll be just fine with the seventh furlong, but it’s never enjoyable to have to start from out here.

#12- Jersey Childe (Asgar, ridden by V Espinoza)- Having raced over half of her career in her NY-bred races did not do her any favors in the post draw. Jersey Childe has been a little more reliable in regard to finishing in the money for her career then she has been winning, with five such finishes in her seven races, but only one win. Typically runs well, especially when on the main track, and was in a third-place dead heat in the Maid Of The Mist for her last start. She’s not used to starting outside of post 3, let alone this spot.

Prediction: 6-2-11-8

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded