Coming off an impressive 5 ½ length victory in the $150,000 Tempted on November 1 at Aqueduct Racetrack, Courtlandt Farms’ Maedean will make her graded stakes debut in headlining a full field of 12 in the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle for juvenile fillies on Saturday at the Big A.
One of four graded stakes on Saturday at Aqueduct, highlighted by the 31st running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile, the Demoiselle offers 10-4-2-1 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Oaks to the top-four finishers. The 10-race card, featuring six stakes overall, will also be joined by the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen,the Grade 3 $250,000 Go For Wand Handicap, the $150,000 Winter Memories and the $125,000 Autumn Days.
National television coverage of Cigar Mile Day from Aqueduct will feature on America’s Day at the Races from 3 – 4:30 p.m. on FS2 and MSG+.
A daughter of Tapit purchased for $450,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2018, Maedean broke her maiden at second asking by 1 ¼ lengths on October 5 at Belmont after finishing fourth in her debut.
Following her striking victory last out in the Tempted, conditioner Mark Hennig said Maedean should appreciate the added distance in her two-turn debut.
“She’s doing excellent. I would think she would be well regarded,” Hennig said. “She’s going to appreciate the stretch out. Her mother [Summer Solo] was a true mile and a half, mile and a quarter horse, so I’ve been looking forward to getting her around two turns. It helps to get that kind of race in the bank moving forward because you get a few [Kentucky Oaks] points, but also getting a good bottom in a horse. I just think in her case it’s going to be advantageous, but some of the others maybe not.”
Drawing post 2, Maedean will be ridden by Luis Saez.
Hall of Fame conditioner Shug McGaughey entered Alandra for owners C. Helen Alexander and K. Helen Groves.
The Blame filly won on debut on September 1 at Saratoga Race Course and followed with a gutsy third-place effort in the Grade 1 Alcibiades on October 4 at Keeneland after being bumped and bothered at the start.
“She’s proven going two turns,” said McGaughey. “I think she’ll run that far and I think she needed to run again after she ran at Keeneland. She was a bit green and I told Helen that she needed to run again and then we’ll give her a bit of a break and bring her back at Gulfstream and hopefully have a good 3-year-old campaign.
Opting to skip the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita for the Demoiselle instead, McGaughey said barring a win in the Alcibiades this was his plan all along.
“I’m not that big on taking 2-year-olds from east to west, especially if they’re lightly raced,” said McGaughey. “If she would have won we would have probably thought about it, but it’s pretty expensive when you don’t win. I pretty much said that we don’t have to worry about that, we’ll just worry about this race coming up.”
Alandra will depart from post 5 with Joel Rosario aboard.
Trainer Jeremiah Englehart entered a pair of talented runners in Critical Value for Ten Strike Racing and Daphne Moon for Gold Square and Double O Racing Stable.
A New York-bred daughter of Bodemeister, Critical Value finished second by a nose in her first start at Saratoga before breaking her maiden on August 29 at the Spa. Last out, she bested fellow New York-breds by 5 ½ lengths to capture the Maid of the Mist on October 19 at Belmont.
Daphne Moon, purchased for $525,000 as a 2-year-old in training at the Ocala Breeders Sale, won her debut by 3 ¼ lengths on August 4 at Saratoga and followed with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Frizette on October 6 at Belmont after stumbling at the break.
With Jose Ortiz aboard, Daphne Moon will leave from post 10 and Critical Value will depart from post 6 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons.
Also entered is Fiftyshays Ofgreen (post 1, John Velazquez); Glass Ceiling for Corms Racing Stable and conditioner Danny Gargan (post 3, Eric Cancel); Miss Marissa (post 4, Dylan Davis) for trainer James Ryerson and owner Alfonso Cammarota; Jara (post 7, Joe Bravo) for conditioner Jason Servis and owner Leonard Green; I Dare U for R.A. Hill Stable and trainer George Weaver (post 8, Manny Franco); Blame Debbie for conditioner Graham Motion and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (post 9, Javier Castellano); Water White (post 11, Luis Reyes) for trainer Rudy Rodriguez and E.V. Racing Stable; and Lake Avenue (post 12, Junior Alvarado) for Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott and Godolphin.
The Demoiselle is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 10-race card. First post is 11:30 a.m. Eastern.
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