NY Stallion Series- Staten Island ($125.000 Purse)
AQU- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward Foaled In NY
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
November 22, 2025

The Staten Island is the companion race for fillies and mares to the Thunder Rumble and will also be taking place on Saturday at AQU. The race has been run every year since 2009, when it initially offered just a $75.000 purse and has peaked at $150.000. Also like the Thunder Rumble, it had a dead heat for the win last year, with this one being between Threshold’s Lil Sunshine and the D J C Racing Stables- trained Prosecutor. Lil Sunshine is still active but doesn’t seem to be running at high levels any longer. Prosecutor last raced in March and has since been retired. We’ll have eight in the race, so let’s take a look at them now:

1- Status (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by J J Castellano)- After not finding much success over thirteen months on the turf, Status was moved to the main track last month and won an optional claimer at seven furlongs at ALB. Going back in her career, her other starts on the dirt were not that great, either, but the trainer is hoping that has changed for Status. Still needs to prove herself at this level.

2- Sandrine (Onlineracingclub.com, ridden by J Rosario)- Four of her last five starts have come in NY-bred stakes, with three of them being on the turf. Up at SAR in June, she won the $200.000 Mount Vernon, which set off a string of races on the grass. She’s versatile and has also had plenty of success on the main track, so will be right at home here. This is the type of purse that she has run in for the majority of her career with Onlineracingclub.com, though only one has been under a mile. Sandrine was a great sprinter previously, so she should like this distance.

3- Thanks Mucho (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by K Carmouche)- Making the 33rd start of her career and hoping for her ninth victory. It’s been a solid year for her, with three wins over eight starts and winning a very similar race to this one up at SAR in June in the Johnstone Mile. Despite its name, it was indeed run at seven furlongs. Ran here last month in an optional claimer at a similar distance and won that as well. Overall, she is very consistent when running this type of race outside of graded company. Look for that trend to continue.

4- Chilly (La Canada Racehorses, ridden by R Santana Jr)- Picked up by the trainer in May for $75.000 in private sales and has run well after a tough first race together. Those have all been in overnights, but at high level tracks so you know the field could be as good as any ungraded stake. Beat NY-Breds here last month in an optional claimer and will now get her second stake opportunity and hoping for a much better result than last time.

5- Sneaky Mistress (Luz International, ridden by J Lezcano)- Claimed by the trainer in August for $20.000 at SAR, and ran for the first time in Luz International silks a month later. That came in an allowance at PID, where she blew by the field in the stretch and got up in time for the win. With a couple exceptions, Sneaky Mistress was very consistent with her prior trainers, so I do think this will go down as a very good claim for Luz International. This is her first opportunity to show she can handle stake competition. Most of her starts have been at a mile, so not worried about the shorter distance, even if she employs the closer strategy again.

6- Bourbon Bon Nay (Jireh, trained by D Davis)- All but one of her seven career starts have come in NY-bred races, and most of these races have been on the turf. Unfortunately, she has not been particularly productive after breaking her maiden back in February 2024. Ran here last month in an optional claimer off a 13-month layoff and was a non-factor. Of course she needed the race, but I’m going to have to see that this older version of her can handle this company first.

7- Neon Terra (First Flight Stable, ridden by Jam Rodriguez)- This is just the fifth start for Neon Terra, and she will need to be better than she was last month here in the $200.000 Iroquois, where she did not beat any of her competition. Won an allowance at SAR in July right before that, and that was also off a long layoff. Not quite the 13 months of Bourbon Bon Nay but was ten months as she was on the shelf for a while in her previous barn.

8- Line Of Flight (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by F Prat)- Another one who ran in the Iroquois last month, but it was better day for Line Of Flight, as she placed second in the race. Most of her 25 career races have been either in NY-bred races, or other ungraded stakes and she has been hit and miss during that period of time. When sprinting, Line Of Flight appears to be a more consistent filly, so it’s very reasonable to think that she can duplicate that Iroquois effort. She’s not the one to beat in here but could very well give the trainer his second straight and fifth career Staten Island win.

Prediction: 3-2-8-5

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded