Morning Line Takes Carter

Morning Line got the best of talented sprinter Apriority in the 111th running of the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct on Saturday.

Sunrise Smarty dashed to the front and held the lead for a half at 19-1. The longshot began to fade and Yawanna Twist, Apriority, and Morning Line took up the running.

Apriority grabbed the lead in the lane but it would not last long as Morning Line quickly seized command and pulled clear by 1-1/2 lengths under John Velazquez. He ran seven panels in 1:21.46 and paid $6.20.

“Amazing. I'm very grateful. I'm very happy for the horse, said winning trainer Nick Zito. "He's lost some tough ones - the Breeders’ Cup Mile was a heartbreaker. The Donn was a heartbreaker. He's such a well-deserving Grade 1 horse. He beat a top horse in [Apriority]. It was a great run race. He did what a professional horse is supposed to do. He's just a very versatile horse. He'll probably run any distance.”

“I had a very good trip," said John Velazquez. "Everything went pretty much the way we hoped it would. He has hard time getting around the turns, but once he’s down in the lane, he’ll give you another gear. He finished up very well.”

Yawanna Twist necked Kensei for the show. Laysh Laysh Laysh, Sunrise Smarty, Fastus Cactus, More Than A Reason completed the order of finish.