2/23/18
Franklin Square Stakes tops Aqueduct card
By Bob Ehalt
Winters in New York are a great time for state-breds to earn big chunks of purse money that can help pay the bills for the warmer days ahead, and Saturday’s featured race at Aqueduct certainly fits into that category.
The $100,000 Franklin Square for 3-year-old fillies bred in New York State tops the nine-race card at Aqueduct with a field of six scheduled to clash at six furlongs.
The 2-1 morning-line favorite is Pauseforthecause, who is seeking her first stakes win. Fourth in a pair of state-breds stakes last year, Pauseforthecause was moved up to third through a disqualification in a state-bred allowance race in her 2018 debut for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and owners Chester and Mary Broman.
Beautiful Buzz is the second choice at 5-2 in her third career start. In her debut, she was victorious in a maiden claimer and then finished second in the aforementioned allowance race but was disqualified to fourth. The daughter of Teuflesburg set the pace in that race but then tired and bumped a rival in the stretch, leading to the disqualification.
My Roxy Girl (3-1) makes her stakes debut and will be tested for class after winning three of her last four starts, all in either claimers or starter races.
Trinni Ninja (4-1) is a maiden but should welcome a turnback in distance. Second at six furlongs in her career debut, she then lacked a late kick while finishing fourth in a state-bred stakes at a mile and figures to be more competitive in Saturday’s spot.
Aunt Babe (8-1), who won a New York Stallion Series Stakes two starts back and rates as the lone stakes winner in the field, and Velvet Trinni (12-1) round out the field.
The Franklin Square will be contested as the third race of the day with a post time of 1:50 p.m.