Dr B defends her title in the Go For Wand (G3) Dec. 2 at Aqueduct (Susie Raisher)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Trainer Butch Reid, Jr., who won the Grade 3 Go for Wand with Dr B and the NYSSS Staten Island with Morning Matcha in December at the Big A, will look to add to his recent local success when Dr B returns for Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Interborough.
Cash is King and LC Racing’s Dr B, a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Liam’s Map, has banked $583,240 through a record of 22-6-7-2 and will look to retire in style in the Interborough – a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares.
“This will probably be her last start,” Reid, Jr. said. “Right now the plan is to breed her after this one regardless of the outcome.”
Dr B made the grade in the 2022 Grade 3 Go for Wand with a powerful frontrunning performance that garnered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure. She successfully defended her title last out in the one-turn mile over muddy and sealed footing with a similar frontrunning effort that registered an 86 Beyer.
She has breezed back twice at her Parx Racing base, including a half-mile effort in 49.90 Friday.
“It went really well. She was nice and in control and did it with a lot of style. We’re extremely happy with how she’s coming into the race,” Reid, Jr. said.
Dr B, out of the graded stakes-placed Proud Citizen mare Boleyn, is a half-sister to the Reid, Jr.-trained stakes winner Stand Up Comic as well as stakes-winner Hi Holiday.
Reid, Jr. said he is pointing Milam Racing Stables’ Pennsylvania-bred stakes winner Uncle Heavy to the Grade 3, $250,000 withers here on February 3. The nine-furlong test for sophomores offers 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers, respectively.
Uncle Heavy, by Social Inclusion, was bred in the Keystone State by Barbara Reid – Reid, Jr.’s sister-in law – and has made three starts at Parx that includes a winning debut in open company sprinting six furlongs in October and a rallying score in the one mile and 70-yard Wait For It against state-breds over good and sealed going on December 27.
“He’s been a real pleasant surprise,” Reid, Jr. said. “He won the Wait For It in his first time going around two turns here in December. He’s a big, strong horse and I think the further the better, so we’ll take a chance going a mile and an eighth.
“He’s got plenty of size and a big, long stride on him,” Reid, Jr. added. “I don’t think there’s a distance he’ll be scared of.”
Uncle Heavy is out of the winning New York-bred Tiz Wonderful mare Expect Wonderful.
Reid, Jr. noted that the multiple graded stakes-placed Pennsylvania-bred Morning Matcha, a comfortable 3 3/4-length winner of the NYSSS Staten Island, is enjoying some down time in Ocala and will look to return in April at Parx to defend her title in the state-bred Unique Bella.
“She’s on Barry Eisaman’s farm and will be coming back this year,” Reid, Jr. said. “She’s getting a nice freshening and we’ll look to bring her back in the same spot we started her in last year.”
Morning Matcha, by Central Banker and out of the multiple stakes-placed Iam The Iceman mare Home Ice, earned a Grade 1 placing when second in last year’s Cotillion at Parx Racing and owns additional stakes conquests in the Main Line and Unique Bella, both at the Bensalem oval. The $18,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale purchase has banked $899,740 through a 24-6-7-7 record.
