Richard Santulli's Tannery, winner of the Oct. 27 E.P. Taylor Stakes (Can-IT), will aim for consecutive black-type scores while facing the boys in the Nov. 16 Red Smith Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The 4-year-old daughter of Dylan Thomas will face a full field of 12 rivals in the 1 1/8-mile turf contest for 3-year-olds and up. The seventh race on the card, the Red Smith, named in honor of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist, is slated for 3:14 ET.
A 4-year-old bay filly trained by Alan Goldberg, Tannery overcame her far outside post in the 10-furlong E.P. Taylor, rallying from last to capture the race by a head following a stretch battle with French invader Fitful Skies.
Also a winner of the Sheepshead Bay (gr. IIT) over a soft Belmont Park inner turf course this spring, Tannery was favored in the E.P. Taylor by virtue of her game second to stablemate Laughing in Belmont's Flower Bowl Invitational (gr. IT) Sept. 28.
In her first try against males in the Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 17, Tannery finished fourth with a wide journey.
"She's a really good filly who hasn't done a whole lot wrong; she's fired every time," said Goldberg. "I think she could have been in the top three in the Sword Dancer with a little better trip. Both she and Laughing are talented, but while Laughing can be a bit worrisome and temperamental, this filly is much more laid back. You can put her on a van, race her, bring her home—she'll do anything."
Tannery, who additionally captured a group III while racing in her native Ireland, will tote 116 pounds in the Red Smith. She is 5-1 on the morning line and will break from post 6 under new jockey Alex Solis.
Out of the Sadlers Wells mare Danse Grecque, Tannery was bred by Grange Stud.
The filly's fiercest competition appears to be from Ken and Sarah Ramsey's 6-year-old homebred horse Hyper.
The son of Victory Gallop, 5-2 on the morning line, will carry top weight of 120 pounds. He won the Sept. 7 Bowling Green Handicap (gr. IIT) and was runner up to Joshua Tree last out in the Oct. 27 Pattison Canadian International Stakes (Can-IT).
Trained by Chad Brown, Hyper has hit the board in his past eight starts, including another second-place effort in the June 22 Colonial Cup Turf (gr. IIT). The bay horse has won or placed in three of his four starts over the Aqueduct turf, including a victory in an allowance optional claiming contest last spring, as well as a third in the April 14 Dave Stakes, both of which were contested at 1 1/16 miles.
Bred in Kentucky from the Nureyev mare Raw Nerve, he will break from post 11 under jockey Javier Bejarano.
Also in the mix is Howe Great, winner of the 2012 Palm Beach Stakes (gr. IIIT). Trained by Richard Metee for Team Valor International, the 4-year-old son of Hat Trick enters the Red Smith off a third-place effort in the Oct. 12 Knickerbocker (gr. IIIT) at Belmont Park.
Completing the field is Chilean champion Quick Casablanca, a group I winner in his native country who is looking for his first stateside victory; Man o' War (gr. IT) third-place finisher Exclusive Strike; stakes winners Imagining, Hangover Kid, Nutello, and Slip and Drive; stakes-placed runner Sky Blazer; and winners Artic North, Sandyinthesun, and Mission Approved. Percussion will run only if the race comes off the turf.
$250,000 Red Smith Handicap (gr. III, approximate post time 3:14 p.m. EDT), 3YOs and up, 1 1/8 miles (Turf)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds
1. Artic North (KY), J L Ortiz, 113, P Miller, 20-1
2. Imagining (KY), J Rosario, 118, C R McGaughey III, 7-2
3. Exclusive Strike (KY), J Lezcano, 116, J Servis, 12-1
4. Slip and Drive (MD), A Castellano, Jr., 115, M Robertson, 30-1
5. Sky Blazer (KY), R Maragh, 116, B Tagg, 6-1
6. Tannery (IRE), A O Solis, 116, A E Goldberg, 5-1
7. Sandyinthesun (NY), J A Davis, 113, R G Davis, 50-1
8. Hangover Kid (NY), I Ortiz, Jr., 116, J Servis, 20-1
9. Howe Great (KY), C H Velasquez, 116, R C Mettee, 8-1
10. Mission Approved (NY), C C Lopez, 116, N Chatterpaul, 30-1
11. Hyper (KY), J Castellano, 120, C C Brown, 5-2
12. Nutello (KY), L Saez, 118, H G Motion, 15-1
13. Quick Casablanca (CHI), J Alvarado, 116, C Clement, 15-1
14. Percussion (KY) (MTO), no rider, 120, T A Pletcher, 6-5
