Lewis Bay figures to be the one to catch and the one to beat in the $250,000 Comely Stakes (gr. III) for 3-year-old fillies going nine furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 26.
The daughter of Bernardini is coming off a front-running 5 ¼-length victory in the Turnback the Alarm Handicap (gr. III) and picks up an extra 16th of a mile here. Earlier this year she won the Gazelle (gr. II), and her career bankroll of $755,600 easily is tops in this field.
"She ran very well in her last race," said trainer Chad Brown. "She showed a new dimension going to the lead, but she's always been a pretty versatile horse and she's been consistent all year. We're looking forward to seeing how she can run off that last effort on Saturday."
Co-highweighted with Lewis Bay at 122 pounds is Unbridled Mo, winner of four consecutive heats for trainer Todd Pletcher including the Monmouth Oaks (gr. III) and Remington Park Oaks in her last two outs. She has shown the ability to stalk and pounce and should engage Lewis Bay late for the money.
"She seems to be getting better and better," Pletcher said. "She's appreciated two turns and has stepped up in class each time. She handled the ship to Remington and ran well there. We've been training up to this race since the Remington Oaks and she's done everything we've asked her to do."
Mo d'Amour, like Unbridled Mo, is a daughter of Uncle Mo . She won the Busher Stakes at the Big A early this year and has been competitive in grade I company, although not in top-three placings. She finished third behind Unbridled Mo in the Monmouth Oaks, beaten a length.
Flora Dora ran second to Lewis Bay last out but does not appear to be in that one’s class at the moment. Going for Broke finished second behind champion Songbird in the Alabama (gr. I) two back but didn’t fire in the Beldame last out. Big Mara tries open company after winning a state-bred allowance tilt for New York-breds last month.Verve's Tale just broke her maiden in her eighth try and needs further advancement to be competitive here.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, November 26, 2016, Race 3Entries: Comely S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Verve's Tale (KY) Paco Lopez 114 Barclay Tagg 20/1 2 2Lewis Bay (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Chad C. Brown 8/5 3 3Big Mara (NY) Antonio A. Gallardo 114 Assaf Ronen 30/1 4 4Going for Broke (KY) Javier Castellano 114 Chad C. Brown 3/1 5 5Flora Dora (FL) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Marialice Coffey 15/1 6 6Unbridled Mo (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Todd A. Pletcher 2/1 7 7Mo d'Amour (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Todd A. Pletcher 10/1
