Day One Starter will attempt to back up a strong maiden win with a stakes victory Saturday when he meets the unbeaten multiple stakes winner Probably Dreaming in the $150,000 Nashua at the Belmont meet at Aqueduct. The one-turn mile for 2-year-olds shares a card with the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.
Day One Starter is part of a field of five for the Nashua. He put up the meet’s fourth highest Beyer Speed Figure for a 2-year-old last out when he won a maiden special weight with an 83. Day One Starter is making his stakes debut Saturday.
“I think he fits in there really well,” trainer Shug McGaughey said. “It’s a step up from a maiden race, but I thought he ran very good. He’s trained very well since then, so we’re looking forward to running him and see how it comes up. I mean, it’s another step along and we’ll see what happens.”
The Nashua will be the third career start for Day One Starter. He debuted in July at Saratoga and finished sixth after stalking the pace in a maiden special weight sprint. Day One Starter utilized different tactics one start later when he rolled home by more than four lengths after setting quick fractions in a Sept. 13 maiden special weight at 6 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct.
“I liked the way that he broke and he showed speed, and he was kind of up underneath [jockey] Javier [Castellano] the right way.” McGaughey said. “And he finished up good. I thought he was really a fairly easy winner, and we’re looking forward to what’s ahead. But, you know, the way he’s trained since he ran, if he’s a decent horse, he should run back to it.”
Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount Saturday. Castellano is riding in the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar. Day One Starter will break from post 5.
“I think if he breaks like he did the other day, he’s going to be close to the lead, if not on it,” McGaughey said. “I’ll leave it up to the jock. I like his post position, so he can kind of figure it out from there. We won’t take a chance on getting stuck down on the inside or anything. But I think he’s got the speed, if nobody wants the lead, that he can be on the lead.”
Day One Starter is a son of Upstart owned by Wilson Family Stables. The May foal is a developing kind of runner for McGaughey.
“I think he’s coming along,” he said. “I don’t think he’s there yet, but I think he’s coming. I think he’s grown up a lot since Saratoga, mentally and physically.”
McGaughey also welcomes the added ground Day One Starter gets Saturday.
“I think he’ll be even better when we get going farther,” he said.
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Probably Dreaming has won his three career starts by a combined margin of 10 1/4 lengths. He debuted in June at Laurel, then made his next two starts at Delaware Park. Probably Dreaming conquered restricted stakes rivals in the First State Dash in September, then won his two-turn debut in an open-company stakes, the Rocky Run, on Oct. 11.
Carlos Lopez has the mount on Probably Dreaming from post 2. The son of Improbable has won on the lead and from stalking and closing positions for trainer Gary Capuano.
My World will get support off a maiden special weight win at Aqueduct. The son of champion Essential Quality is trained by his sire’s former conditioner, Brad Cox. My World is out of the multiple stakes-winning mare Quebec.
Tough Guy Tony was a supplement to the Nashua after winning a maiden special weight and an allowance in his last two starts. Empire of Glory was third last out in the Rocky Run.
Turf Sprint Championship
Outlaw Kid figures to start as a top contender in the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship over six furlongs on the outer turf. A field of eight is in the body of the race, with five horses on the also-eligible list. The group set to start includes Nothing Better, the winner of this race in 2023, and Dancing Buck, a stakes winner of more than $600,000.
Outlaw Kid exits the Grade 2 Woodford on Oct. 4 at Keeneland. He finished sixth but was beaten just 1 3/4 lengths for everything in the quick turf sprint stakes won by multiple Group 1 winner Khaadem, who is set to run back Saturday at Del Mar in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Santana has the mount on Outlaw Kid from post 3. The horse is trained by George Weaver, who is taking on Khaadem again Saturday with Governor Sam.
◗ Dettori – the horse – is on the also-eligible list for the 10th race Saturday. The first-level allowance will be run at a mile on turf. Jockey Frankie Dettori, who has ridden Dettori, announced Wednesday his plans to retire in the near future.
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