Sunday, November 18, 2012
Contact: Jenny Kellner
FALL HIGHWEIGHT HIGHLIGHTS BIG A'S THANKSGIVING CARD
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Horses will join many people in packing on a few extra pounds this Thursday as a field of six goes to post for the 99th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Fall Highweight Handicap, the traditional Thanksgiving Day feature at Aqueduct Racetrack.
First race post time will be 11:25 a.m., with the nine-race card set to conclude at 3:10 p.m.
Toting high weight of 135 pounds for the six-furlong sprint will be Poseidon's Warrior, who this past summer at Saratoga Race Course pulled a 36-1 stunner in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt for his first Grade 1 win. The 4-year-old Speightstown colt subsequently finished third in the Grade 1 Vosburgh Invitational at Belmont Park and then a dull 14th in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita.
"Initially, we thought it would be too quick from the Breeders' Cup after shipping from coast-to-coast and back, but he's doing very well," said Butch Reid from Philadelphia, where he trains Poseidon's Warrior for Swilcan Stable. "He kind of sleep-walked around there at Santa Anita, but back in the cool weather, he's a different horse. He had a great blowout down the lane [Saturday] morning, 22 and change, and that kind of made our minds up."
With Irad Ortiz, Jr. named to ride, Poseidon's Warrior drew post position 5 at 8-5 on the morning line.
Repole Stable's Caixa Eletronica, who successfully toted 131 pounds to win a 1 1/8-mile starter handicap at the Spa in 2011, was assigned 133 pounds as he looks to return to the winner's circle for the first time since June. The 7-year-old son of Arromanches, who this year won the Rise Jim overnight stakes at the Big A, the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic and the Grade 2 True North Handicap on Belmont Stakes day, most recently finished seventh as the favorite in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont.
"I think the track was speed biased [in the Bold Ruler]," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "It seemed like during that little window of time, very few horses were making up any ground. They had to run against the grain of the track."
Javier Castellano will ride Caixa Eletronica, 9-5 on the morning line, from post position 2.
Also toting 133 pounds will be Grade 1 Foxwoods King's Bishop winner Willy Beamin, who on Saturday at Aqueduct set the pace in the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap before yielding in the stretch to Called to Serve
Joining him from trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.'s barn will be This Ones for Phil, who has a pair of victories and two seconds in four 2012 starts. The 6-year-old gelded son of Untuttable, who in 2009 won the Grade 2 Swale at Gulfstream Park, will be making his first start since finishing second as the favorite in Belmont's Diablo overnight stakes in May.
Alan Garcia was named aboard Willy Beamin, who drew post position 3 at 6-1 on the morning line, while Ramon Dominguez will ride 5-1 This Ones for Phil from the rail.
Making his graded stakes debut is New York-bred stalwart Mine Over Matter, most recently victorious in the Hudson on New York Showcase Day at Belmont. The 5-year-old son of Mineshaft is 1-2-1 from seven starts over the Big A's main track, including a last-to-first victory in the restricted Fabersham overnight stakes in April.
John Velazquez will be aboard Mine Over Matter, 8-1 from post position 4.
"He should get a good set up [in the Fall Highweight]," said trainer Mike Hushion of Chester and Mary Broman's homebred. "I'd like to win a graded stake with him, Mr. Broman would like to win a graded stake with him"
Rounding out the field is Small Town Talk, second to Hymn Book in the Frank "Pancho" Martin overnight stakes on October 19 at Belmont.
The field for the Grade 3, $150,000 Fall Highweight Handicap:
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | 130 | 5-1 | |||
| 2 | 133 | 9-5 | |||
| 3 | 133 | 6-1 | |||
| 4 | 129 | 8-1 | |||
| 5 | 135 | 8-5 | |||
| 6 | 129 | 15-1 |
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