Locally Owned back to his winning ways in the Stud Muffin (NYRA/Coglianese)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— New York-bred Mosienko and stakes winner Locally Owned stepped up with big performances on Saturday’s New York Claiming Championship card at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The New York Claiming Championship, which featured six starter events over the main track offering a combined $380,000 in purse money, is open to horses that have started for a prescribed claiming price in 2022-23.
Flying P Stable’s Locally Owned, who carried just 113 pounds with apprentice Jaime Torres up, wore down pacesetter Good Skate to capture the co-featured $75,000 Stud Muffin, an 11-furlong test for older horses in Race 5.
The Manny Franco-piloted Good Skate set splits of 49.33, 1:15.77 and 1:41.91 over the good main track with Locally Owned saving ground in fifth position. Torres guided Locally Owned up the rail through the final turn and angled outside the leader en route to a 1 1/4-length score in a final time of 2:22.55.
“It’s very hard to put into words what this horse means to me,” trainer Tom Morley said. “He has to have everything go his way, so Jaime and I planned and plotted and watched replays on when it’s gone right and wrong for him. It was an unbelievable ride – the coolest, calmest jockey out there. He had dead aim on Manny and I had said to him, ‘You’ve got to be the last one to play your cards. He’s got a quarter-of-a-mile kick and if you use it too early, he’ll flatten out at the end.’ What a wonderful horse. I got very, very excited at the eighth pole.”
The 7-year-old Distorted Humor gelding captured the 2021 Grand Prix American Jockey Club Invitational at 1 5/8-miles for his current connections at Belmont Park. Although haltered for $20,000 five starts later out of a winning effort in August at Saratoga, he was claimed right back for double that amount in September at Belmont at the Big A.
It was an emotional score for Morley, who teamed up with Flying P Stable to take the Kelly Kip on last year’s New York Claiming Championship card with Dark Money.
“This had been the plan for six months, so to pull it off is huge,” Morley said. “And it’s huge for Flying P, too. They’re a big outfit in the claiming game, so to win one of these starter races is great. We won last year with Dark Money and to win with this horse is just a little bit extra special. That was a good race and you would have had to run a 90 Beyer to win today, so we’re absolutely thrilled.”
Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Locally Owned banked $41,250 in victory while improving his record to 35-7-7-7. He returned $9.10 for a $2 win bet.
Stacy Lalman’s New York-bred Mosienko returned to winning form in the co-featured $75,000 Sis City, a one-turn mile for older fillies and mares in Race 9.
Trained by Dennis Lalman, the 6-year-old Hat Trick mare won four consecutive sprint races last year from August to October but had since endured three starts without posing for a win photo.
She grinded out a prominent three-quarter length score under apprentice Jason Huayas Saturday, putting away the favored Tough Street at the top of the lane and staving off the late charge of Movie Moxy to win in a final time of 1:40.87. Movie Moxy completed the exacta by 1 1/2-lengths over Tough Street with Amity Island, Kingdom Queen, Dame Cinco and My Sweet Wife rounding out the order of finish. Dancing Sophia, Chaysenbryn, Mariah’s Fortune, My First Love and Know It All Audrey were scratched.
“She’s amazing. She’s been so good to me,” said Lalman. “It’s amazing how she’s come back. She’s just had a couple things [come up], but I never thought she was taking a step back or anything. The mile helps her because she’s the kind of mare that doesn’t like to be clustered up with horses. If you see most of the races she’s run, she’s either second or on the lead. The last time she ran, she got caught between horses and she doesn’t like that. The mile gives her a chance to position herself.”
Bred by Anthony Grey, Mosienko banked $41,250 in victory while improving her record to 35-9-7-4. She returned $11.20 for a $2 win ticket.
New York Claiming Championship Day kicked off in Race 1 with a hard-fought effort from Melting Snow, who earned a fourth consecutive trip to the winner’s circle in the $55,000 Videogenic for older fillies and mares going seven furlongs.
Owned and trained by Charlton Baker and piloted by Kendrick Carmouche, Melting Snow displayed her usual frontrunning tactics, marking the half-mile in 46.77 seconds over the good track with Alarm Clock looming large to her outside. The pair battled down the stretch, but Melting Snow’s determination was too much as she strolled home a 2 1/2-length winner in a time of 1:28.05. Alarm Clock was second, 1 1/4 lengths to the better of Meraviglioso. Icy Reply, Triple P and Quality Stones completed the order of finish.
Melting Snow has been a popular one here at the claim box. Baker claimed the 5-year-old Dialed In mare last out following a victory for a $32,000 tag on January 27. Prior to that effort, she was a double-digit lengths winner for a $16,000 tag on January 5 for trainer Rob Atras, one month after a win for a $10,000 tag for trainer Linda Rice.
Bred in Kentucky by Pillar Property Services, Melting Snow is out of the Scat Daddy mare Urquia. She banked $30,250 in victory and returned $3.20 as the heavy favorite.
Eric Ross and trainer Steven Chircop’s Romantic Gamble showed a strong turn of foot in Race 7 to capture the $50,000 Dads Caps for older horses sprinting six furlongs.
Ridden to victory by Trevor McCarthy, the son of Gamble’s Exchange stalked seven lengths off the pace set by Lohengrin Two, who marked an opening quarter-mile in 22.85 seconds over the good and sealed main track with Charlie Five O, Zertz, and post-time favorite Easy Day in a tight battle for second.
Easy Day made a rail-skimming move at the top of the lane to overtake the lead from Lohengrin Two after a half-mile in 46.96 and drew clear in mid-stretch, but was challenged late by a strong outside bid from Romantic Gamble as he quickly made up ground to his outside. Romantic Gamble overtook the lead just past the sixteenth pole to post the one-length victory in a final time of 1:11.93. Easy Day held on to place honors over Salto de Tigre with Lohengrin Two rounding out the superfecta. Scilly Cay, Zertz and Charlie Five O completed the order of finish. R Boy Bode and Warrior in Chief were scratched.
Romantic Gamble, who notched his second consecutive victory and fifth of his career. returned $19.20 for a $2 win wager. Bred in Ontario by Ivan Dalos, Romantic Gamble improved his record to 16-5-3-0 and banked $27,5000 in victory.
In Race 8, the $65,000 Peeping Tom – a 6 1/2-furlong test for older horses – Luni Sima earned his first victory since September for trainer Peter Walder, who owns the 4-year-old son of Keen Ice in partnership with EKB Stables.
Luni Sima saw a cutback in distance, entering off a fourth-place finish at allowance level on March 11 where he finished 3 1/2 lengths behind Celestial Moon.
Piloted by Eric Cancel, Luni Sima took towards the rear of the field as Bezos established command with Ragtime Blues to his outside through an opening quarter-mile in 22.76 seconds and a half in 46.75 over the good and sealed main track. As Bezos and Ragtime Blues threw in the towel it was O’Trouble to catch on the front end, but Luni Sima launched his outside rally and prevailed by 1 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:19. O’Trouble was second, 3 1/4 lengths ahead of lukewarm favorite Glory Road. Russian to Win, Ragtime Blues, Royal Tryst, Durkin’s Call, Quickflash, and Bezos completed the order of finish. Jemography and Spectatorless were scratched
Luni Sima returned $11.40 for a $2 win wager and banked $35,750 in victory. The triumph was his fourth lifetime trip the winner’s circle. Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, Luni Sima is out of the stakes-winning Tapit mare Malibu Beach.
Post-time favorite No Burn lived up to his 2-1 odds in Race 10 and posted a 4 3/4-length victory in the $60,000 More To Tell, a one-mile test for older horses, to close out the card.
Trained by Oscar Barrera, III, who co-owns with Three Player’s Stable, No Burn broke sharply from post 10 under Dylan Davis and held a brief lead before longshot Alcools ducked down to the inside path from post 8 to lead the field of nine through an opening quarter-mile in 24.18 over the good and sealed main track. No Burn tracked closely down the backstretch before putting his head in front mid-turn and drawing clear at the top of the lane to cross the wire first in a final time of 1:39.01.
Dust Devil ran on late to complete the exacta with Optic Way rounding out the trifecta. Alcools, Daddy Knows, Black Belt, Hammerin Aamer, Mount Travers and Lost in Rome completed the order of finish. Lord Gatling and Winter Pool were scratched. No Burn returned $6.20 for a $2 win ticket.
Bred in Kentucky by R.S. Evans, the son of Declaration of War improved his lifetime record to 22-9-3-2 with total purse earnings of $391,250. He was claimed for $12,500 by his current connections out of a win in May at Belmont Park.
Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race card to close out the Big A winter meet. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.
