Dr B after winning last year’s edition of the Go for Wand (Joe Labozzetta)
Morning Matcha To Take On NYSSS Staten Island
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Cash is King and LC Racing’s Dr B scored her first graded stakes triumph one year ago in the Grade 3, $200,000 Go for Wand, a one-mile main track test for fillies and mares at Aqueduct Racetrack, and will look to score a repeat win in this year’s running slated for December 2.
Trained by Butch Reid, Jr., the 5-year-old daughter of Liam’s Map was last seen finishing fourth in the Parx Dirt Mile when facing males on September 23 at her home base of Parx Racing. That effort was her first outside of the graded ranks this year after four starts at the top level, including a game second to Caramel Swirl in the Grade 3 Vagrancy when making her seasonal bow in May at Belmont Park, and a distant runner-up effort to 2021 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Echo Zulu in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap in July at Saratoga Race Course.
“She’s doing great and she’ll breeze tomorrow,” said Reid, Jr. “We’ve given her a freshening since her last start with an eye to a title defense in the Go for Wand, so we’re going to go ahead and take a shot. She likes the Aqueduct course and she’s been in some really tough spots – she’s taken on some of the best in the country and certainly hasn’t embarrassed herself. We’re looking for a little bit easier than she’s been up against. We expect her to show good speed. I wouldn’t mind a little rain, either.”
In addition to the Go for Wand, Dr B has made one other start at the Big A when a good second to Boston Post Road in the seven-furlong Pumpkin Pie last October.
Bred in Kentucky by Eico Ventures, Dr B has earned $473,240 in total purses through a record of 21-5-7-2. She is a half-sister to Stand Up Comic, who won the 2021 Parx Futurity for the same ownership and Reid, Jr.
Reid, Jr. will also send up multiple graded stakes-placed Morning Matcha, owned by the same connections along with Gary Barber, for the $150,000 NYSSS Staten Island, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired fillies and mares, on December 3.
Morning Matcha, a Pennsylvania-bred daughter of leading New York sire Central Banker, enters from an even third-place effort in the nine-furlong Turnback the Alarm on November 3 here, finishing four lengths behind the top pair of the winning Interstatedaydream and Tizzy in the Sky, who finished a neck apart. Morning Matcha stalked well behind the pace set by the latter two foes down the backstretch and could not make up enough ground late to threaten.
“They kind of got away from her, but she was running and she does every time,” said Reid, Jr. “Nothing she could do could disappoint me at this point.”
Morning Matcha has proven to be a remarkable bargain purchase after selling for $18,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale. She hit the board in her first nine outings, including a win in last year’s Main Line at Parx, before subsequently finishing third in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks and second in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx, where she finished ahead of 2022 Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks-winner Secret Oath and eventual dual Grade 1-winner Adare Manor, among others.
This year, the 4-year-old bay has continued to hold her own against stakes company, including a win in the seven-furlong Unique Bella in April and another graded placing when third in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap won by Idiomatic, who exited that effort to win three consecutive Grade 1s that included the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
“She’s been a great buy and she’s been solid as a rock all along,” said Reid, Jr. “She runs all different kinds of distances. She’s tried the best and is Grade 1 placed, so she’s a special horse. We’ve had a lot of fun with her.”
Reid, Jr. said the cutback should suit Morning Matcha in the Staten Island.
“It’s a little under her best distance, but she’s doing well and already won going seven-eighths at one point this year, so we’ll try it again,” Reid, Jr. said. “Turning back from the mile-and-an-eighth, I don’t think fitness will be a problem.”
Morning Matcha has now banked $830,990 in total purse earnings through a 23-5-7-7 record.
