Familiar Foes Square Off in Broadway
A talented group of familiar New York-bred fillies & mares are set to renew their rivalries once again in the 36th running of the $150,000 Broadway Stakes on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Heading the field is Isabelle trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and owner William Schettine. The 4-year-old bay filly by Successful Appeal, previously trained by Lisa Lewis, made her debut in the Mott barn a winning one, taking an optional claimer at six furlongs by three-quarters of a length on January 29 at Aqueduct. In the process, Isabelle defeated fellow Broadway entrants Atlantic's Smile, Blithely, and Make the Moment.
With
an impressive four wins from seven career starts, including the
$125,000 Bouwerie Stakes last May at Belmont, Isabelle will be looking
for her third consecutive victory. With jockey Junior Alvarado aboard,
she will break from post position 4 as the 5-2 morning-line favorite.
Atlantic's
Smile, second to Isabelle last out, will look to turn the tables from
post 5 with Ruben Silvera in the irons. Trained by Charlton Baker for
owner Francis Paolangeli, the front-running 5-year-old mare by Stormy
Atlantic will look to best the field from the gate.
"It's
pretty much the same horses as from the last race, where she made the
lead, so I think she'll make the lead here again," said Baker. "She's
doing good, she came out of the last race good and she's training just
as good as she was for the last race."
Atlantic
Smile is 7-2 on the morning line. Baker will also enter Make the
Moment, 10-1 on the morning line, with jockey Taylor Rice from post 2.
Blithely,
the third-place finisher in that key optional-claiming race is 3-1 on
the morning line from the rail with Manuel Franco up. Making her third
start on the Aqueduct inner track, the 4-year-old Exchange Rate filly
has already proven to have an affinity for the surface with a 1 ½-length
win in her first try on January 2.
Entered
for owners Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables is the Rudy
Rodriguez-trained Vicki's Dancer. The daughter of Disco Rico has amassed
$442,025 in career earnings and is coming off a disappointing
fifth-place finish in the What a Summer Stakes on January 3 at Laurel
Park, where she pressed the pace most of the way on a muddy track before
giving way. Previous to that race, Vicki's Dancer took the $125,000 New
York Stallion Series on November 22 by 1 ¼ lengths traveling three-wide
while besting fellow Broadway entrant Uncle Southern.
Vicki's Dancer is 5-1 on the morning line and will leave from post 6 with Angel Arroyo taking the mount.
J
and M Racing Stables' Uncle Southern, trained by Linda Rice, will look
to rebound off a third-place finish in the New York Stallion Series
Thunder Rumble. The 5-year-old front runner should favor a slight
cutback in distance for the Broadway at six furlongs.
"She's
doing well, she's had a little bit of time off, so we're excited to run
her," said Rice. "I saw a lot of speed in the race but she doesn't
necessarily have to have the lead, she can sit off of it. She likes a
wet track - I don't know if that will be the case."
Drawing post 7, Uncle Southern is 8-1 on the morning line with Cornelio Velasquez.
Rounding
out the field is the Rick Schosberg-trained Pennymine, a 6-year-old
mare by Mineshaft owned by Herbert and Shelia Sherry. Pennymine is
coming off back-to-back wins at Aqueduct in an optional claimer on
January 1 and an allowance victory on January 23.
Source: NYRA Communications