Glass Ceiling wins the G3 Distaff Handicap (Janet Garaguso)
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Dual graded-stakes winner Glass Ceiling returns from a nearly four-month layoff in Saturday’s $120,000 Pumpkin Pie, a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward at Belmont at the Big A.
The Pumpkin Pie, slated as Race 8, is one of four stakes on a stacked card that includes the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso in Race 5, a one-turn mile for 3-year-olds and upward offering the top-four finishers a free nomination and starting fee in the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile slated for December 3 at the Big A. Also featured Saturday are the $120,000 Awad at 1 1/16-miles on turf for juveniles in Race 4 and the Grade 3 Bold Ruler at six furlongs on the main track for 3-years-old and up in race 9. First post on the 10-race card is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.
Trained by Charlton Baker, who co-owns Glass Ceiling with Michael Foster, the 5-year-old Constitution bay enters off a distant fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney on July 2 at Gulfstream Park. Glass Ceiling proved a force to be reckoned with earlier this year, securing triumphs in the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie on February 19 Laurel Park and the Grade 3 Distaff on April 9 at Aqueduct.
Second in last year’s Pumpkin Pie to Lady Rocket, Glass Ceiling also won the Garland of Roses in December at the Big A. She boasts a 10-4-2-1 record at the Ozone Park-oval while bragging field-best earnings of $668,212.
Glass Ceiling is nominated to the Fasig-Tipton November Breeding Stock Sale, where she will be consigned by Paramount Sales. She is listed as Hip No. 291.
“She’s training well. We gave her about five or six weeks off to get her ready for this race,” Baker said. “This race seemed like it would be the only one we could get to when we looked at the stakes calendar. She is entered in the sale for next week, and she’s doing as well as she’s done, so we feel really good going into the race.”
Dylan Davis, the pilot for 5-of-8 of Glass Ceiling’s victories, will retain the mount from post 5. She carries a field-high 126 pounds.
Trainer Tom Morley will saddle Flying P Stables’ W W Fitzy as she cuts back from a last-out victory going nine furlongs on September 1 at Saratoga Race Course. The Illinois-bred daughter of Well Positioned has displayed consistency throughout the year, recording a 8-3-1-3 record during her current 6-year-old season. She was third in the Pippin in January at Oaklawn Park in her seasonal debut for her former trainer Robertino Diodoro.
“She’s a big, strong imposing filly that doesn’t appear to be distance-limited,” Morley said. “Seven-eighths or a mile and an eighth will suit her. She’s versatile trip wise and she’s got plenty of gears. Seven-eighths doesn’t faze me at all. She’s won a number of sprint races and two-turn races.”
Morley said he may call an audible and race W W Fitzy in next week’s Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm going nine furlongs on November 4 at the Big A.
“We’re going to have a look at the race. We’re trying to decide whether we want to go in here or in the Turnback the Alarm the following weekend,” Morley said.
Kendrick Carmouche will retain the mount aboard W W Fitzy from post 1. She carries 122 pounds.
Tee-N-Jay Farm’s Oxana brings consistent form into the Pumpkin Pie for trainer Timothy Hills, earnings a stakes victory last out in the Roamin Rachel on October 3 at Parx Racing. The Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Uptowncharlybrown has not finished worse than third in her last five starts, including a close second in Pimlico’s Shine Again on September 10.
Paco Lopez has the mount from post 6.
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will saddle Peter Brant’s Boston Post Road [post 2, Flavien Prat], who will seek her first stakes win following a pair of runner-up finishes at allowance optional claiming level. She finished a narrow second to three-time winner Palm Cottage on September 4 at Saratoga last out, after finishing a nose behind next-out graded stakes-winner Played Hard.
Completing the field are Corey [post 3, Irad Ortiz, Jr], Dr B [post 4, Trevor McCarthy], and Movie Moxy [post 7, Manny Franco].
America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of every day of Belmont at the Big A on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.
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By Ryan Martin – NYRA Press Office
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