Joseph Allen's Asti will be making her first American start in the $100,000 Beaugay Handicap (gr. IIIT) for fillies and mares on the Aqueduct Park turf Saturday.
The 1 1/16-mile event will also be her first start for trainer Allen Jerkens.
Asti won one of seven races to begin her career in Europe before she finished a decent sixth in the E.P. Taylor (Can-I) at Woodbine last fall. The 4-year-old Sadler's Wells filly had been training in Florida with Jerkens before shipping to New York in the middle of this month.
Changing World, winner of the Violet (gr. IIIT) last fall, will try to recover from a sub-par effort in the Honey Fox (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream. Earlier in that meet, she was a good third in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf. Changing World will be on of two stakes runners for trainer Barclay Tagg at Aqueduct this weekend. In Sunday's King's Point, 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide will make his seasonal debut.
Trainer Billy Turner has entered a pair for the Beaugay – Finery and Fortunate Damsel. Finery won the Athenia (gr. IIIT) over this track last fall while Fortunate Damsel took the Pebbles (gr. IIIT) at Belmont. The latter will be making her first start for Turner after being trained by the late P.G. Johnson and his longtime assistant Heriberto Cedano last year.
Elizabeth Merryman's With Patience lost by under a length to Finery in last year's Athenia and will be making her first start of 2005 Saturday.
Actcellent and Strategy have been entered for the main track only.
$100,00 Beaugay Handicap (gr. IIIT), fillies & mares 3 & up, 1 1/16 miles (turf)PP. HORSE, TRAINER, JOCKEY, WGT.
1. Changing World, Barclay Tagg, Edgar Prado, 118
2. Finery, Billy Turner, Pablo Fragoso, 116
3. Savage Beauty, H. Allen Jerkens, Jose Santos, 114
4. Asti, H. Allen Jerkens, Jean-Luc Samyn, 117
5. Sauvage, Tom Albertrani, Javier Castellano, 116
6. Fortunate Damsel, Billy Turner, Norberto Arroyo Jr., 117
7. With Patience, Elizabeth Merryman, Richard Migliore, 116
8. Fast Cookie, Bill Mott, John Velazquez, 116
9. Lady Libby, Steve Kappes, Jose Espinoza, 114
Main track only10. Actcellent, H. Allen Jerkens, 119
11. Strategy, Shug McGaughey, 118
