Thursday, November 8, 2012
Contact: Jenny Kellner
JUVENILES COMPETE SUNDAY IN NEW YORK STALLION SERIES
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Undefeated Matchmadeinheaven goes for her fourth straight stakes victory Sunday when she takes on six other 2-year-old fillies in the $125,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The six-furlong Fifth Avenue, which will be run as race 7, is the second of two stakes on Sunday restricted to the juvenile sons and daughters of stallions nominated to the series. The $125,000 Great White Way division for 2-year-olds, also contested at six furlongs, will be run as race 3 on the nine-race card.
Trained by Chris Englehart for Merrylegs Farm, Matchmadeinheaven made her debut on September 3 at Finger Lakes with a 17-1 upset of the Lady Finger Stakes. She returned three weeks later as the 4-5 favorite in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes, also at Finger Lakes, and then traveled to Belmont Park on October 27 for New York Showcase Day, charging six-wide from 10th to win the Joseph A. Gimma at odds of 10-1.
The homebred daughter of Utopia, out of the Deputy Minister mare Open Marriage, will face three of her rivals from the Gimma as third-place finisher and beaten favorite Kelli Got Frosty, fourth-place finisher Zekes Surprise and 12th-place Gee Linz return on Sunday.
Jose Lezcano will be back aboard Matchmadeinheaven, who drew the rail under high weight of 122 pounds. The filly is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line behind P J's Superego, a second-out maiden winner on October 9 at Parx Racing.
Trained by Patricia Farro, P J's Superego drew post position 4 under New York's leading jockey, Ramon Dominguez, and was installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite.
Rounding out the field are maiden winners Nonnie Connie and Jerusalem Stone.
Laila's Jazz, a winner of two of his three career starts, will carry high weight of 120 pounds as he leaves from post position 3 in the Great White Way.
The son of Smooth Jazz was a first-out maiden winner for Englehart on July 31 at Finger Lakes, and next pulled an 18-1 upset of odds-on favorite Meet the Mets for new trainer Gary Contessa in a first-level allowance on September 27 at Belmont. Most recently, Laila's Jazz was sixth in the Bertram F. Bongard on Showcase Day.
Rajiv Maragh will ride the Terra Di Sienna Stables color-bearer, the third choice at 7-2 on the morning line.
Favored at 8-5 on the morning line is Meeker Avenue, who led all the way to win his debut on September 19 at Belmont. Dominguez has the mount aboard the Read the Footnotes gelding, who drew post position 2.
The Great White Way also drew Stoneless, the gelded son of Bustin Stones who most recently was fifth in the New York Breeders' Futurity at Finger Lakes, along with Petrocelli, Madam I'm Adam and maidens Here Comes Tommy and Patriot Class.
The field for the $125,000 Fifth Avenue:
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The field for the $125,000 Great White Way:
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