Know It All Audrey victorious in an allowance optional claimer Jan. 19 at Aqueduct (NYRA/Coglianese)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Trainer Oscar Barrera, III will hope to see the stakes-placed Know It All Audrey provide him with the first stakes victory of his career in Sunday’s $100,000 Broadway, a seven-furlong sprint for older New York-bred fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Know It All Audrey, who Barrera, III co-owns with Three Player’s Stable, enters from a prominent two-length victory in a one-mile state-bred optional claimer on January 19 under returning rider Manny Franco. The 4-year-old daughter of Shackleford tracked closely to the pace in third through the first half-mile before taking command at the three-quarters call and drawing off to the geared-down victory in a final time of 1:38.95 over a good and sealed main track.
“She broke a little slow and Manny got her into the race,” said Barrera, III. “The good thing about her is that she doesn’t need to be on the lead. Manny let the speed go and stalked from the outside and when he asked her, he had tons of horse. She won with ease. It’s a perfect tactic that he can use her early or he can lay off of them and make a run.”
The victory was Know It All Audrey’s third in five starts for Barrera, III since being haltered for $16,000 out of a dominant 7 3/4-length victory in September here. She finished second in her other two outings and has earned nearly 10 times her claiming price, racking up $154,700 in total purses for her new connections to become the second-highest earning horse Barrera, III has trained since making his first start in 2011.
“If I could make claims like this every week, I would be in perfect condition,” Barrera, III said, with a laugh. “She’s a New York-bred and she was dropping from an allowance down to a $16,000 [claimer]. There was a four-way shake that day and we were very lucky to win it.”
Know It All Audrey has already picked up a stakes placing for Barrera, III, finishing a game second to the multiple graded stakes-placed Venti Valentine in the state-bred Bay Ridge two starts back on December 17.
“She got beat by a very nice filly in Venti Valentine,” said Barrera, III. “That one went on a break, so that sets up well for us.”
Barrera, III credited Know It All Audrey’s exercise rider Pedro Morales with her progression since joining his stable.
“Since I acquired her, she’s matured a lot. You can see in her races that she has been showing up every single time,” said Barrera, III. “She’s a bit of a difficult horse to train in the mornings – she’s headstrong and moody. But my rider Pedro Morales has done a fantastic job with her and she’s been coming along. She’s put on weight and muscle and she’s been training very well.”
Barrera, III said he is unsure how the cutback to seven furlongs will affect Know It All Audrey, who has not raced at that distance since October when winning a starter allowance here.
“I’m a tad concerned because usually those horses who can go seven-eighths can go the extra furlong to get a mile, so seven furlongs is right when she kicks in,” said Barrera, III. “But she’s been able to run at both distances and be successful.”
Along with his success with Know It All Audrey, Barrera, III is also enjoying a runaway lead in the Under 20s Claiming Challenge as he looks to successfully defend his title in that event. As of January 28, he leads Randi Persaud by 11 points with a total of 56.
The challenge is open to trainers with 20 or fewer horses in their care and saw the addition of an “Under 10s” division this season for trainers with 10 or fewer horses. Eligible horses competing in claiming races will receive points for finishing in the top-five. The top-eight trainers with the most points will share in a prize pool of $80,000 with the winner receiving $16,000. The Challenge will come to a close at the conclusion of the 19-day Big A spring meet, which spans Thursday, March 30 through Sunday, April 30.
“It’s been a fantastic winter so far,” said Barrera, III. “It helps and it’s a great program that NYRA has established. For horsemen that don’t get many horses, it helps them overcome it with a little more income for the stable and staff. It’s a great accomplishment for a trainer who doesn’t get a ton of horses.”
Barrera, III said part of his process for claiming horses is to find a horse who has shown ability and give them a chance to move up in class in their first start for him.
“We try to always take a step up and perform at a higher level, and if they do, we keep it up,” said Barrera, III. “In New York, you’ll see trainers claim horses for high prices and drop them first time just to get the win. Usually, we like to take that step and that can help out the trainer.”
Barrera, III pointed to the progression of seasoned gelding No Burn, who was last seen winning a second-level optional claimer on January 20 over a muddy and sealed Big A main track.
The 5-year-old son of Declaration of War, who is also owned by Barrera, III and Three Player’s Stable, was claimed for $12,500 out of an open-lengths victory in May at Belmont Park. He followed with an eight-length triumph for a $32,000 tag in his next outing before subsequently winning a starter handicap and a first-level allowance at Saratoga Race Course.
“We got him for $12,500 and stepped him up to the $32,000 after,” said Barrera, III. “He won his starter and he won the allowance. He’s doing fantastic and we’ll see him around the 20th in another allowance.”
Barrera, III recently welcomed Pristine Racing’s One Whirlwind Ride to his barn and enjoyed a game runner-up effort from the son of Twirling Candy in a six-furlong $35,000 claiming tilt on February 5.
“The owner transferred him to me and he’s another one that is difficult in the morning, but he’s been training well,” Barrera, III said. “He’s going to run in about two weeks. He’s been showing a lot of class.”
Barrera, III, who boasts a 25-3-4-4 record at the Big A winter meet heading into Friday’s card, said he looks forward to more claiming opportunities as the meet continues.
“We’ll just continue to claim and try to get some horses who can perform at higher levels,” Barrera, III said. “Having the Under 20s keeps us on the edge through the winter.”
