The New York Racing Association will hope the incredible run of dry weather this fall in the Metropolitan area continues for the next two weeks as that is how much time is left for turf racing on this circuit.
The Aqueduct fall meet – not to be confused with the Belmont at the Big A fall season – kicks off Thursday with an eight-race card that includes three turf events. There are nine turf stakes scheduled between Thursday and Nov. 17, after which turf racing is expected to be done for the year.
Prior to the renovation project at Belmont Park that has consolidated downstate racing to Aqueduct for the last year and will do so for the next year, Aqueduct conducted turf racing into December, if weather allowed. This will be the second year NYRA will curtail turf racing a few weeks early with the idea of having it in better shape when it resumes next April.
Over the last eight weeks, NYRA conducted 126 turf races over the two Aqueduct courses and only had to move seven to the dirt, none since Sept. 29.
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The nine turf stakes to start the meet include the Grade 3, $175,000 Pebbles and $150,000 Autumn Days on Friday; the Grade 2, $300,000 Red Smith, Grade 3, $200,000 Hill Prince, and $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint on Saturday, and the Grade 3, $300,000 Long Island and $135,000 Forever Together on Sunday.
Those races are part of a stakes program in which 26 stakes worth $5.33 million will be offered over the 26 days of racing through Dec. 29. The biggest day of the meet will be Dec. 7, with four stakes topped by the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile and includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen; Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Go for Wand.
Racing will be conducted Thursdays through Sundays with first post on nine-race cards at 12:10 p.m. and first post on 10-race cards, such as Saturday, at 11:40 a.m. There is no racing on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28) and there will be an 11-day break Dec. 16-26.
On Thursday, when dry conditions and temperatures near 70 degrees are forecast, there are two allowance races – one dirt, one turf – that highlight the card.
The richest race on the card is the opener, a $95,000 second-level allowance/optional-claiming race at 1 1/8 miles on dirt. Parx shipper Magic Michael, a 14-time winner, is running at his fourth distance in his last four starts for trainer Jamie Ness. Two back, he was second, beaten 10 lengths, by Next in the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup at 1 1/2 miles. Last out, shortened to a mile, his late run fell a half-length short. The 7-year-old gelding is one of two in here for the $62,500 claiming price.
Chad Brown has the uncoupled pair of Army Times and Moore’s Law entered in this spot. Army Times finished sixth in a similar spot as this at Parx in his lone start off a 10-month layoff. Moore’s Law, came from off the pace to win a first-level allowance at 14-1 after having finished last of sixth in his lone start in May.
The seventh, a first-level allowance scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the outer turf, drew a field of nine for turf plus five main-track-only entrants.
Horacio De Paz has the uncoupled pair of New York-breds Awesome Czech and Can’t Fool Me in this field.
Awesome Czech, a 3-year-old daughter of Mendelssohn, is 3 for 4 at 1 1/16 miles and is coming off a third-place finish in this same race going a mile last out.
“She did stumble second stride out of the gate, that cost her position,” De Paz said. “She was coming with a little bit of a run, but couldn’t run them down.”
Manny Franco, who has been aboard for all three of this filly’s wins, is back aboard for the first time in three starts on Thursday.
Can’t Fool Me takes on open company after running in seven consecutive statebred races, including a third-place finish in the John Hettinger Stakes. She finished 4 1/4 lengths behind Moonage Daydream, who came back to win the Ticonderoga on Oct. 29.
De Paz said he considered running in the Ticonderoga, but thought this allowance might come up easier. It didn’t.
Brown, with his never-ending supply of turf horses, sends out Rhiannon and Revalita. Rhiannon hasn’t run in a year, or since finishing fifth as the favorite in last November’s Grade 3 Pebbles. She won her turf debut by seven lengths in Sept. 2023.
Revalita finished third in this condition as the favorite in August at Saratoga.
Vino Rouge was disqualified from a win in this condition in August at Saratoga. In her next start, she finished a non-threatening fifth as the favorite.
◗ Dylan Davis won his first fall title on this circuit when he rode 44 winners at the Belmont at the Big A fall season that concluded Sunday. Kendrick Carmouche (34) was second followed by Manny Franco (27) and Flavien Prat (24). Davis’s previous two meet titles at NYRA tracks came at the 2022 and 2024 winter meets.
◗ Chad Brown won his 13th Belmont fall-related title with 31 wins, 13 more than Linda Rice. Christophe Clement (13) and Brad Cox (13) were next.
Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables led all owners with 11 wins from 44 starters. It is the 29th individual meet title on this circuit for Klaravich.
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