TurfPublicists: NEW YORK STALLION STAKES ADVANCES; for Sunday, May 2, 2010

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Contact: Jenny Kellner

(718) 659-2351

HARD TO GET PAST TERRANOVA DUO IN SUNDAY'S NYSS

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer John Terranova has a strong hand in both ends of Sunday's New York Stallion Stakes (NYSS) at Belmont Park, with Grade 2 Beaumont winner Franny Freud topping a field of seven 3-year-old fillies in the $100,000 Park Avenue and General Maximus facing nine 3-year-old colts in the $100,000 Times Square.

Franny Freud, a bay daughter of Freud owned by Paul Pompa, Jr. and Stephen Yarbrough, has been competing exclusively in stakes company ever since her seven-length maiden score at Belmont Park just under a year ago. Winner of the Ontario Deb at Woodbine, the Lady Finger at Finger Lakes and the NYSS Fifth Avenue at Aqueduct, the well-traveled filly then wintered in California, where she finished a solid second in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez in January prior to her nearly five-length score in the Beaumont at Keeneland.

In eight lifetime starts, she has been first or second in all but one, finishing fifth when stretched out to a mile in the Grade 1 Frizette last October at Belmont, and Terranova feels both the 6 ½-furlong distance and the timing of the Park Avenue will suit her well.

"She had a great winter in California, and so far, everything has been going to plan," said Terranova. "She came to New York about a week after the Beaumont, in the middle of April, and has had two nice breezes since then. Since she's Stallion Stakes eligible, this is a great spot for her, and from here we might look at some of the bigger sprints for 3-year-old fillies."

Garrett Gomez, aboard for her two most recent starts, comes in to ride Franny Freud, 3-5 from post position 6.

Three fillies who chased Franny Freud home in last year's Fifth Avenue return for another shot Sunday; Raffie's Rose, who finished second; fourth-place finisher and beaten favorite So N So, and Hook Me Up, who was fifth. The Park Avenue will be the 2010 debut for both Hook Me Up and Raffie's Rose, while the Tom Bush-trained So N So was third in the Lottsa Talc on April 1 at Aqueduct.

Hook Me Up will get the services of jockey Alan Garcia as she breaks from post 2 at 8-1, while Raffie's Rose has Eddie Castro in the irons at 12-1 as she drew post 5.

So N So, with David Cohen aboard, drew post 3 and was 4-1 on the morning line.

Rounding out the field are Ommadon's Angel, Freud's Notebook, and Positive Pitch.

While Franny Freud came straight to Terranova's barn from Ocala as a 2-year-old, General Maximus is a newcomer, but could prove to be equally talented.

The Freud colt was a four-length winner of his debut at Belmont Park last July, and came back in January as a front-running victor of a first-level allowance at Gulfstream Park. In his third start, the chestnut colt led through the early going before finishing fourth to the likes of to Radiohead and Homeboykris going a mile at Gulfstream and then was sent to Terranova.

"He's new in the barn, but he's one I've watched from the beginning," said Terranova, who will give Javier Castellano a leg up on General Maximus, 7-5 on the morning line from post position 6. "We have high hopes for him, as he looks to be a colt with that kind of talent. This race Sunday could be a springboard to a race like the [Grade 2] Woody Stephens if everything goes right."

His biggest challenge could come from the George Weaver-trained Make Note, the Bertram Bongard winner who closed out his 2009 campaign with a 1 ½-length victory in the NYSS Great White Way. With Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado aboard, the Read the Footnotes colt drew post position 7 and was 7-2 on the morning line.

Completing the field are, from the rail out, Game Token, Reading Group, Zealous Boy, Hittin the Note, Ommadon's Answer, Regal Court, Eire's Run, and Cajun Jet.

The field for the $100,000 Park Avenue:

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	Odds
1	Ommadon's Angel (NY)	M Phillips	116	L O'Brien	50-1
2	Hook Me Up (NY)	A Garcia	116	L Rice	8-1
3	Freud's Notebook (NY)	F Jara	118	B R Brown	10-1
4	So N So (NY)	D Cohen	118	T M Bush	4-1
5	Raffie's Rose (NY)	E Castro	116	J T Ryerson	12-1
6	Franny Freud (NY)	G K Gomez	122	J P Terranova, II	3-5
7	Positive Pitch (NY)	M J Luzzi	118	B N Levine	8-1

The field for the $100,000 Times Square:

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	Odds
1	Game Token (NY)	J R Velazquez	116	G C Contessa	12-1
2	Reading Group (NY)	E Castro	116	R M Hernandez	15-1
3	Zealous Boy (NY)	E Coa	116	P Kazamias	10-1
4	Hittin the Note (NY)	C H Velasquez	116	R E Schosberg	30-1
5	Ommadon's Answer (NY)	M Phillips	116	L O'Brien	50-1
6	General Maximus (NY)	J Castellano	118	J P Terranova, II	7-5
7	Make Note (NY)	E S Prado	122	G Weaver	7-2
8	Regal Court (NY)	G Saez	116	L Rice	20-1
9	Eire's Run (NY)	A Garcia	116	L Rice	15-1
10	Cajun Jet (NY)	R A Dominguez	118	R E Dutrow, Jr.	4-1

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