Reverberate After First Stakes Win in Stuyvesant

(from Aqueduct report)
Centennial Farms' Reverberate, a colt expected to have a big future after his runner-up finishes in the Peter Pan and Jim Dandy (both gr. II) as a 3-year-old last year, tries once more to lock up his elusive first stakes victory in Saturday's $100,000 Stuyvesant Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct.

The 1 1/8-mile event on the inner track drew a field of seven.

Turns out those runner-up efforts are the best of Reverberate's career so far. He comes off a third-place finish in the Brooklyn Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) in September and a disappointing fourth in the Meadowlands Breeders' Cup (gr. II) Oct. 13.

"Maybe it's his turn to win one of these," trainer Sal Russo said. "The post was bad for him at The Meadowlands last time. He doesn't like being in behind horses. He was a victim of circumstances when he got stuck down inside. They went slow early in that race and came home quick."

Reverberate has been ridden by jockey Jose Santos, a good friend of Russo's, in his last eight races. Saturday, however, Edgar Prado will have the mount on the son of Thunder Gulch.

The horse to catch in the Stuyvesant is Whos Next Racing Team's Accountforthegold, a nine-length winner of a third-level allowance optional claimer in the slop at Belmont last month.

Accountforthegold has never won at nine furlongs, but his form sports a win in last year's 1 1/16-mile New York Derby at Finger Lakes. Trainer Gary Contessa is hoping to see if he was as good at two turns as he is at one.

The Stuyvesant will be Accountforthegold's fourth race for Contessa. The 4-year-old Successful Appeal colt has improved in each start under his current conditioner.

The top two finishers from the Empire Classic will try graded stakes company and figure prominently in an evenly-matched Stuyvesant.

Jockey Eibar Coa was able to rate Majesty Stud's Organizer in the Empire Classic, which enabled the colt to finish strongly and pull off a 22-1 upset for the 4-year-old's first stakes win.

Organizer's last two races around two turns were both losses, but he does show a two-turn win at Saratoga in August of 2005.

Three Amigos Stable's Carminooch ran a huge race in the Empire Classic, missing by three-quarters of a length to Organizer in his first start in eight months. With that race under his belt, an improvement could be expected from Carminooch, who is trained by Todd Pletcher.

Perhaps the most interesting horse in the Stuyvesant is Gary Tanaka's Billy Allen, who ships into America after racing in Dubai, France and Germany this year. The 5-year-old has won numerous dirt races at lesser tracks across Europe throughout his career.

$100,000 Stuyvesant Handicap (gr. III, Race 8, 3:44 p.m.), 3 & Up, 1 1/8 Miles
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Carminooch (NY), 115, John R. Velazquez
2. Accountforthegold (NY), 114, Michael J. Luzzi
3. Reverberate (KY), 115, Edgar S. Prado
4. Billy Allen (IRE), 113, Fernando Jara
5. Tinseltown (KY), 114, Kent J. Desormeaux
6. Elements (KY), 112, Channing Hill
7. Organizer (NY), 114, Eibar Coa