Small Pebbles winning the Shesastonecoldfox Stakes Oct. 24 by 1/2 a length at Finger Lakes. Photo by SV Photography
Aqueduct fall meet Week 4 stakes probables
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – William D. Hart Sr.’s New York homebred Small Pebbles will make her first venture outside of Finger Lakes when making her debut for trainer Carlos Martin in Sunday’s tenth edition of the $100,000 Key Cents for New York-bred juvenile fillies going six furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The Bustin Stones bay made the 334-mile journey from Farmington, New York to Martin’s Belmont Park stable two weeks ago and registered her first breeze for him on November 15, going a bullet three furlongs over the training track in 35.80 seconds.
Small Pebbles won her first two starts, graduating on debut in August ahead of a victory in the Shesastonecoldfox on October 24 at the Key Cents distance for her former conditioner Linda Dixon.
“I got her a couple of weeks ago and she’s a nice filly. She had a couple of nice wins over at Finger Lakes,” Martin said. “The competition will get a little deeper in here, but she breezed well. I was going to wait for the Stallion Stakes [$500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue on December 17], but when I saw how light the field was in this race, I figured it would be worth a shot.”
Small Pebbles will be the first Hart homebred to be trained by Martin, who praised the filly’s previous trainer.
“Linda Dixon did a great job with the filly,” Martin said. “These horses by Bustin Stones can run but they can be a little quirky, so she did well with her. Hopefully, she runs as well for us as she did for them.
“She’s been pretty straightforward,” Martin continued. “She can get a little high-strung but so far, it seems like she’s settled in well and she’s definitely a racehorse.”
Small Pebbles is out of the Fusaichi Pegasus mare Bright Line, whose dam is Grade 1-winning millionaire and Grade 1 producer Clear Mandate.
Small Pebbles will leave from the outside post in the six-horse field under jockey Kendrick Carmouche.
Aqueduct fall meet Week 4 stakes probables
Friday, November 25
G3 Long Island
Probable: Capital Structure (Chad Brown), Kalifornia Queen (C. Brown), Rocky Sky (C. Brown), Temple City Terror (Brendan Walsh), Tic Tic Tic Boom (Alan Bedard)
G3 Comely
Probable: Falconet (Todd Pletcher), Kathleen O. (Shug McGaughey), Morning Matcha (Butch Reid, Jr.), Nostalgic (Bill Mott), Tizzy in the Sky (Jose Camejo)
$150K Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship
Probable: Dancing Buck (Michelle Nevin), Gear Jockey (Rusty Arnold), Matta (Michael Trombetta), Nothing Better (Jorge Duarte, Jr.), Run Curtis Run (Mike Maker), Scuttlebuzz (Rudy Rodriguez), Thin White Duke (David Donk), Yes and Yes (Donk)
Possible: Cazadero (Walsh)
$100K Notebook (NYB)
Probable: Acoustic Ave (Christophe Clement), Don’t Lose Cruz (Rick Schosberg), Flashy Alex (Randi Persaud)
Saturday, November 26
(Double draw for November 26 and 27 to be held Wednesday, November 23)
G2 Red Smith
Probable: Astronaut (Tom Albertrani), Dynadrive (Tom Morley), Highest Honors (C. Brown), Reigning Spirit (Al Stall, Jr.), Sanctuary City (James Ferraro), Shawdyshawdyshawdy (Jorge Abreu), Soldier Rising (Clement), Temple (Maker)
G3 Fall Highweight
Probable: Bezos (Chandradat Goberdhan), Factor It In (Carlos Mancilla), Greeley and Ben (Jeffrey Englehart), Happy Farm (Mike Miceli), Runninsonofagun (John Toscano, Jr.)
Possible: Synthesis (David Jacobson)
$120K Central Park
Probable: Bat Flip (Todd Pletcher), Calycanthus (Pletcher), Chiringo (George Weaver), Dandy Handyman (Keri Brion), Dr. Settle’s Dream (Mott), General Jim (McGaughey), Liar’s Poker (Clement), Ramblin’ Wreck (Danny Gargan)
Sunday, November 27
$150K Discovery
Probable: Affable Monarch (Duarte Jr.), Be Better (Pletcher), Curlin’s Wisdom (Linda Rice), Eloquist (Reid, Jr.), Saint Tapit (Pletcher), Winit (John Kimmel)
Possible: Baldizar (H. James Bond), Barese (Maker), Open Road (Brad Cox)
$150K Autumn Days
Probable: Athwaaq (Lolita Shivmangal), Change of Control (Michelle Lovell), Gogo Shoes (Maker), Honey Pants (Clement), Lady Edith (Clement), Star Devine (Abreu), Stolen Holiday (McGaughey), Too Sexy (Clement)
$120K Tepin
Probable: Agua Dulce (Pletcher), Alluring Angel (Abreu), Gambling Girl (Pletcher), Liguria (C. Brown), Thirty Thou Kelvin (Abreu), Tribal Queen (Tony Dutrow)
Possible: Smokie Eyes (Clement)
