Thursday, May 24, 2012
Contact: Jenny Kellner
NY-BRED TURF CHAMPIONS RETURN IN SUNDAY STAKES
ELMONT, N.Y. – Compliance Office and Hessonite, 2011’s New York-bred Champion Turf Male and Female, return to action Sunday at
The one-mile Mount Vernon will be run as race 5 on Sunday’s 10-race card, with the Kingston, also at one mile, going off as race 7.
Winner of six of his past seven starts, including the West Point, Ashley T. Cole and Mohawk stakes, Compliance Officer will be making his 6-year-old debut in the one-mile Kingston. The gelded son of Officer suffered his only loss during that span when 11th in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs but rebounded to win the Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes at the Fair Grounds in December to wrap up his championship season.
“I really wanted to run him one more time last year because I didn’t know what to think after the Breeders’ Cup,” said trainer Bruce Brown, who just over a year ago claimed Compliance Officer for $25,000 for La Marca Stable. “He spent the winter in
The 2-1 favorite on the morning line, Compliance Officer drew post position 8 and will be ridden for the first time by Javier Castellano.
Coming in to challenge Compliance Officer on his home turf will be graded stakes winner Mr. Vegas, fourth in the Grade 2 Mervin H. Muniz Memorial at the Fair Grounds last time out. Winner of the Grade 3 Colonel E. R. Bradley at the Fair Grounds in January, the Richard Scherer trainee will be returning to
Miguel Mena rides Mr. Vegas, the 5-2 second choice on the morning line, from post position 6.
Also starting in the
Owned and trained by Scott Schwartz, Pocket Cowboys has made two starts this year, finishing fourth in the Three Coins Up overnight stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack on April 13 and a distant third in the off-the-turf Milesius at Belmont on May 3. He will be ridden by Hall of Famer Edgar Prado at 10-1 on the morning line, leaving from post position 2.
Minnie Punt will be seeking his first victory since taking the 2010
Also entered, from the rail out, are Lubash, Writingonthewall, Abilio, and Street Game.
Hessonite has made a single start in 2012, stalking the pace and then finishing sixth behind Winter Memories in the Grade 3 Beaugay on May 5. Trained by David Donk for William Punk, Jr. and Philip DeLeo, the Freud filly was 4-1-1 from six starts as a 3-year-old in 2011, including a victory over males in the New York Stallion Series in August at Saratoga Race Course as well as the Ticonderoga and NYSS Cupecoy’s Joy at
As the 7-2 third choice on the morning line, Hessonite will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez from post position 6.
Favored at 9-5 on the morning line is Gitchee Goomie, winner of the 2011
Gitchee Goomie leaves from post position 3 with Alan Garcia in the irons.
Risky Rachel, winner of both her 2012 starts by a combined margin of 11 ¼ lengths, will be making her turf debut in the
Completing the field, from the rail out, are
The field for the $125,000
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The field for the $125,000
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