Dr Ardito and a celebratory Manny Franco take the Alex M. Robb (Susie Raisher)
By Keith McCalmont – NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Michael J. Caruso and Michael Dubb’s Dr Ardito, expertly handled by leading rider Manny Franco, arrived in the final jumps to collar his Chad Brown-trained stablemate Aggregation and win Friday’s $100,000 Alex M. Robb, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
A 5-year-old Liam’s Map gelding, Dr Ardito entered the one-turn mile for New York-breds 3-years-old and up from a pair of efforts traveling one-mile in Grade 2 company here, finishing a close second to Everso Mischievous in the Forty Niner in October and a distant seventh in the Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets on December 2.
Dr Ardito broke alertly under Franco from post 3-of-5 but settled to his usual position at the back of the pack as Barese and the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Aggregation dueled for the lead through an opening quarter-mile in 22.72 seconds over the muddy and sealed going.
Aggregation, the slight 6-5 mutuel favorite, led the field into the turn through a half-mile in 45.34 with Barese tracking to his outside in second position as General Banker and Curlin’s Wisdom raced in tandem in front of the trailing Dr Ardito.
Franco gave Dr Ardito his cue into the turn and advanced with purpose along the inside as Eric Cancel asked General Banker to make an outside move at the leaders with Aggregation still the one to catch.
Dr Ardito tipped off the rail once straightened away for the stretch run and took aim at his stablemate, making up ground with every stride to secure the half-length win in a final time of 1:36.18. It was a further 4 1/2-lengths back to Barese in third with General Banker and Curlin’s Wisdom rounding out the order of finish.
Franco, who is leading rider at both the Aqueduct fall meet and in the NYRA yearly standings, said he anticipated a duel up front between Barese and Aggregation.
“That’s what I expected – a good pace in front of me and just come with my run late,” Franco said. “I know they were going a pretty good pace in front because my horse was there, but then he tucked back a little bit. I knew they were rolling along, so I just bide my time, cut the corner and when I get in the clear, he started running again.”
Dr Ardito won six straight races from April 2021 through his first stakes score in the Haynesfield here against fellow state-breds in February. He added the state-bred Evan Shipman Handicap to his ledger in August at Saratoga Race Course.
Klaravich Stables’ Aggregation, a 4-year-old Flatter gelding, finished third to the victorious Barese in last year’s New York Derby at Finger Lakes. He arrived at the Alex M. Robb from a powerful frontrunning score under Franco in an open allowance tilt here on November 19 that garnered a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure.
Carmouche, aboard Aggregation for the first time in the afternoon, said his horse was simply second best on the day.
“He ran his race. I felt I held him [Dr Ardito] off pretty good until he got me in the last couple jumps – he [Dr Ardito] was the best horse in the race, we just didn’t know if he could catch up with us late, but he did,” Carmouche said. “We tried to make every pole a winning pole, but I got pressed early and that caved him in a little. He was very tired and by the time I got to the three-quarter [pole], I knew I was running out of horse.”
Bred in the Empire State by Fred W. Hertrich, III and John D. Fielding, Dr Ardito is out of the winning Indian Charlie mare Delightfully So, a half-sister to the multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Delightful Kiss and 2010 Canadian Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Delightful Mary. He banked $55,000 in victory while improving his record to 14-8-2-0 and returned $5.40 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Saturday at the Big A with a nine-race card featuring the Listed $150,000 Gravesend in Race 3. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.
