No Such Word, dominating winner of the Remington Park Oaks last month, can put the finishing touch on a superb 2010 campaign in the $250,000 Gazelle Stakes (gr. I) at Aqueduct Nov. 27.
The Gazelle, for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles, precedes the $250,000 Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile (gr. I) on a program that also includes a pair of grade II events for 2-year-olds worth $200,000 apiece, the Demoiselle and Remsen. Eight were entered in the Gazelle, which is the eighth race on the card and is scheduled to go off at 3:10 p.m. EST.
Brereton C. Jones' homebred No Such Word, the Gazelle's morning line favorite at 5-2, is on a two-race stakes winning streak for trainer Cindy Jones. The daughter of Canadian Frontier won the Monmouth Park Oaks (gr. III) prior her 6 1/2-length romp as the odds-on choice at Remington Park. Among her other victories during a season in which she has won five of nine starts was the Honeybee Stakes (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park in March.
In the 1 1/6-mile Remington Park Oaks, No Such Word rallied from last early in the field of 10 to win handily.
Regular rider Terry Thompson will be aboard No Such Word, who breaks from the far outside under 117 pounds.
Quiet Temper, looking to regain the form she showed earlier in the year winning the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II), comes into the Gazelle off a five-month layoff for trainer Dale Romans. Mark Stanley's Kentucky-bred daughter of Quiet American has not been out since finishing fourth as the favorite in the Iowa Oaks (gr. III) at Prairie Meadows June 26.
Following her win in the Fair Grounds Oaks, Quiet Temper was eighth in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). She also ran fourth in the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park three weeks prior to the Iowa race. Javier Castellano has the mount on the 119-pound highweight who breaks from post 3.
The winner of the Iowa Oaks, Seeking the Title, is also in the Gazelle Field. The Seeking the Gold filly, trained by Dallas Stewart for owner/breeder Charles Fipke, ran second by 1 1/2 lengths to No Such Word in the Monmouth Oaks.
In her most recent start, Seeking the Title was overmatched in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I), finishing a well-beaten ninth at odds of 49-1. Rajiv Maragh takes the reins for the first time on Seeking the Title, who breaks from post 7.
Trainer Todd Pletcher is represented by grade II winner Awesome Maria, who drew the rail with John Velazquez aboard. The E. Paul Robsham homebred daughter of Maria's Mon has started just three times this year, winning a turf stakes at Saratoga this summer. She is coming off a fourth in an overnight grass stakes at Belmont Park as the favorite Oct. 29.
This will be the first grade I appearance for Awesome Maria since she was beaten a head by Devil May Care in last year's Frizette (gr. I).
Off for nearly a year after last October’s Frizette, Awesome Maria won her first start for Pletcher, a division of the one-mile Riskaverse Stakes on the turf at Saratoga Race Course Sept. 2, then finished third behind top 3-year-old fillies Havre de Grace and Blind Luck in the Fitz Dixon Cotillion (gr. II) on the main oval at Parx.
“We didn’t have her as a 2-year-old, so we didn’t have that perspective to compare to, but when we first got her we felt she wasn’t training quite as well on dirt as we might have anticipated,” said Pletcher. “So we worked her on the turf, and she worked well and ran well. [Her versatility] makes it easier to explore more options, and timing-wise this is a good spot, and our last opportunity this year to run against straight 3-year-old fillies in a race of this significance.”
West Point Thoroughbreds' Belle of the Hall stretches out after a win in the 6 1/2-furlong Catinca Stakes on a good Belmont track Oct. 27 for trainer Tom Albertrani. The Florida-bred daughter of Graeme Hall has won four of six starts in her career, all coming this year, and ran third in Saratoga's Test Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 7.
Darley Stable's Dubai Dancer has won three in a row by a combined margin of 11 lengths for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. She makes her graded stakes debut in the Gazelle. The A.P. Indy filly, out of the Mr. Prospector mare Dubai Belle, has started just four times in her career.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Rose Family Stable's Joanie's Catch, who will be making her 30th appearance in two seasons. The Barry Rose trainee has won only four times but has finished in the money in 21 races. The First Tour filly has run 16 times in 2010 and is coming of a neck victory against older rivals in the Elmer Heubeck Distaff Handicap at Calder Nov. 13.
Delaware Park shipper Ms Vanenzza, a daughter of Successful Appeal , comes off back-to-back third-place stakes efforts for trainer Juan Vazquez.
$250,000 Gazelle Stakes (gr. I, Race 8, 3:10 p.m.), 3-Year-old Fillies, 1 1/8 Miles
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Awesome Maria (KY), J R Velazquez, 115, T A Pletcher
2. Belle of the Hall (FL), D Cohen, 115, T Albertrani
3. Quiet Temper (KY), J Castellano, 119, D L Romans
4. Ms Vanenzza (KY), C H Velasquez, 115, J C Vazquez
5. Dubai Dancer (KY), R A Dominguez, 115, K P McLaughlin
6. Joanie's Catch (FL), J Santiago, 115, B R Rose
7. Seeking the Title (KY), R Maragh, 117, D Stewart
8. No Such Word (KY), T J Thompson, 117, C Jones
