11/15/19
Key Cents Stakes tops card at Aqueduct
By NY Hot List Staff
Welcome to the post-Breeders’ Cup blues.
In the aftermath of the Nov. 1-2 Breeders’ Cup the pace of racing action has slowed considerably to the point where big days of racing in New York will usually occur on a monthly basis as opposed to weekly fare of great racing on display at Belmont Park and Saratoga.
Reflective of that, the featured race at Aqueduct on Saturday is the Key Cents, a $100,000 stakes for 2-year-old fillies bred in New York.
A field of seven turned out for the six-furlong sprint with Time Limit the 5-2 favorite.
Trained by Mike Maker, the 2-year-old filly is placed in open, graded stakes company as she finished second in the Grade 3 Matron Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 5.
That stakes came on turf, but in her four starts before that she raced on dirt and posted a neck loss in the $200,000 Seeking the Ante Stakes and a 6 ¼-length score in a June maiden race.
The 5-2 second choice is Playtone, who is coming off a decisive six-length maiden win in her third career start. In her two previous starts, the George Weaver-trained filly finished second both times.
“She broke real sharp from her inside post and ran really well in her maiden win,” Weaver said. “It depends on the other speed in the race, but I would anticipate that we would try and duplicate her best performance.”
My Sassy Sarah (3-1) will be making her dirt debut after racing on turf three times. In her last start, the daughter of Summer Front trained by Michelle Nevin was sixth in the Grade 3 Miss Grillo against open company.
Also on hand is Big Q (8-1) who was fifth in stakes company in her last two starts, the Seeking the Ante and the Grade 2 Adirondack against open rivals.
“When she ran in the Adirondack she got into some trouble and got stopped pretty good at the eighth pole,” said trainer Gary Gullo. “She came out of that one well, but I ran her back a little too quick after that. I think we’ve got a fresh horse now. She’s doing really well.”
The field also includes All Over the Map (12-1), Shadolamo (12-1) and Single Verse (5-1).