One of the ugliest breakdowns in a breakdown-plagued year at Aqueduct occurred in yesterday's fourth race for bottom 10G claimers. The 5-year-old gelding La Festa E Domani – 1-for-24 in his career for trainer Gary Sciacca – was racing far back in the field, as he'd done in most of his prior starts, when he broke down badly in his left foreleg at the top of the stretch, threw jockey Ruben Silvera, then hobbled down the stretch on three legs.
When they finally got a hold of La Festa E Domani, he was near the outer rail between the sixteenth pole and the finish line. The curtain came out, signifying he was about to be euthanized. But instead, a splint was put on his damaged ankle, and with much effort, he was loaded into the horse ambulance and vanned off – only to be euthanized a short time later.
Two questions: 1) Did NYRA delay euthanizing La Festa E Domani because of his location, right in front of the grandstand with a gaggle of customers standing nearby? 2) Although he was not claimed, did the NY State Racing and Wagering Board's new rule – that a claim is voided if the horse dies or is put down on the racetrack – enter into the decision? And if not this time, will it in the future?
It's Tricky, winner of last year's Acorn and Coaching Club American Oaks, second in the Alabama and Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, and winner of her only previous start this year, the Top Flight over Aqueduct's inner dirt, was favored at 3-5 going seven furlongs in the Grade 2, $200,000 Distaff Handicap, but it took some persistent handling for Eddie Castro to get her home in front.
Chasing the pace duel between 33-1 Dontbeshy I'll Buy and 2-1 Nicole H down the backside and around the turn, It's Tricky was hard-ridden to keep pace, and she looked in deep trouble when Castro went to the whip turning for home. Then, after spinning her wheels for most of the trip, It's Tricky finally kicked into gear, made the lead in mid-stretch and drew clear.
FIRST RACE: Persistence paid off here, too, for Eddie Castro aboard 9-5 favorite English Major, coming off a maiden win on the Gulfstream lawn for Todd Pletcher. Going a mile on turf, Undrgroundregulatr, 10-1, gunned to the front under David Cohen, going very wide around the clubhouse turn, and set the pace down the backside chased by 26-1 Half Lucky and 5-1 Yari, then English Major rushed up outside to press the pace. Castro put him to a drive on the far turn, but Half Lucky spurted clear under Cornelio Velasquez and led by daylight into the stretch. Inside the final furlong, 3-1 Selection Sunday, Alan Garcia up, Yari under Rosie Napravnik and English Major between them rallied past Half Lucky and battled to the wire, with English Major winning the bob in a three-way photo.
SECOND RACE: Todd Pletcher's 4-year-old gelding R King of the Road was 4-5 making his first start since breaking his maiden by 8 ¾ lengths last July 23 at Saratoga, and for a while he looked in deep trouble. After emerging from between horses to take the lead down the backside under Rosey Napravnik, R King of the Road set the pace chased by 21-1 Haya's Boy, double-bug Jose Ortiz, who went after R King of the Road on the turn. Those two slugged it out the length of the stretch, with Haya's Boy – a NY-bred winner of two straight for Jeremiah Englehart – a stubborn foe. But R King of the Road, under aggressive handling from Napravnik, edged clear late.
THIRD RACE: Alex Solis, who stands a good chance of being elected to the Racing Hall of Fame this year, was comeback-jockey-of-the-year in 2011; but going into last Friday, he was in a bad slump so far in 2012 with just five wins from 127 starts. But that afternoon on turf at Keeneland, Solis rallied from last to win the Grade 1 Maker's Mile by a neck on 12-1 Data Link; and here, in the $75,000 Videogenic overnight stakes at 1 1/16 miles on grass, he rallied from last again to blow by 8-5 frontrunner Sharnberry in deep stretch aboard 6-1 My Redbyrd, making her first start for John Terranova since Nov. 6.
SEVENTH RACE: Eminent Tale, favored at 6-5 dropping from 30G to 10G for Rick Dutrow Jr., was racing well off the pace under Junior Alvarado, advancing up the rail, when Cinder Cone, Alan Garcia up, came over in front of him, forcing Alvarado to check hard and lose his irons, costing him any chance. Dakota Roadhouse, 47-1, shook loose on the lead, chased by 22-1 Mutiny, with another big gap back to the rest of the field. When Dakota Roadhouse called it quits on the turn, Mutiny took command, opened up and coasted home, giving Rosey Napravnik her third win on the day.
EIGHTH RACE: The Bronx wasn't the only borough where Jeter had a tough time yesterday; here in Queens, the Yankees shortstop's namesake, the 3-year-old gelding Jeter, was an odds-on also-ran. Favored at 2-5 coming off his 8 ½-length maiden romp last month for Rick Dutrow Jr., Jeter chased the duel between 6-1 Half Nelson and 7-2 Vebosity, couldn't keep pace when put to a drive by Junior Alvarado on the turn, made a bit of a run down the stretch but flattened out to finish fifth.
PICK SIX
Winning numbers:
7-7-6-12-7-12
Winners (6 of 6)
Paid $27,618
Consolation (5 of 6)
Paid $122.50
Eddie Castro, Rosey Napravnik, Rosey Napravnik, Todd Pletcher, Rosie Napravnik, Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic, Alan Garcia, Alan Garcia, Rick Dutrow Jr., La Festa, Junior Alvarado, Coaching Club American Oaks, English Major
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