Bernieandtherose streaks into $125K Maddie May
Robert D. Rosenthal and Bradford Bernstein’s homebred Bernieandtherose is on a three-race win streak entering Saturday’s $125,000 Maddie May, a one-turn mile for New York-bred sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Domenick Schettino, the Accelerate chestnut captured the seven-furlong East View last out on February 8 here for her third consecutive local victory. She looks to keep the ball rolling for her connections as the younger half-sister to February 22 Heavenly Prize Invitational-winner Bernietakescharge.
“They have two different running styles,” said Schettino, of the half-sisters out of the stakes-winning Freud mare Berning Rose, who he trained. “Bernietakescharge wants to be on or close to the lead, but her sister Bernieandtherose, is more versatile. Otherwise, they are pretty much the same. They have the same demeanor and personality.”
Bernieandtherose [post 4, Katie Davis] has displayed that versatility in her four career starts, all made at the Big A versus fellow state-breds with returning rider Katie Davis aboard. She closed to win second-out by 7 3/4 lengths traveling seven furlongs in November, before a pacesetting 6 1/4-length victory going a one-turn mile later that month.
In the East View, Bernieandtherose rallied to beat returning rival Storm Changer by a half-length, improving her record to 4-3-0-1 with $163,000 in earnings. Bernietakescharge took 15 starts to earn her first stakes score, but Schettino said Bernieandtherose wasn’t noticeably much more precocious.
“It looks like she was quicker to develop racing record-wise, but they were pretty much almost the same,” said Schettino. “Their race records don’t show it, but it took them a couple of times to see what was going on and learn what they had to do.”
An intriguing stakes newcomer is Madaket Stables’ Lottie Margaret [post 7, Manny Franco], who steps up in class following two local one-turn mile romps versus fellow state-breds. Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the Global Campaign bay was a pacesetting second-out graduate by 10 1/4 lengths over returning rival Lady Wisdom on January 5.
Lottie Margaret was most recently a prominent 10-length winner of a state-bred optional-claimer on February 1. In preparation for the Maddie May, she worked a half-mile in 49 seconds flat on Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.
“She’s doing good. She came out of her last breeze in good order, it was a nice breeze,” said Dustin Dugas, Cox’s New York-based assistant. “She seems like a decent little filly.”
Bred by Steve Schuster, Lottie Margaret, a $75,000 purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Yearling Sale, is out of the winning Street Cry mare Passionate Diva. Her second dam is multiple graded stakes-winner Roshani.
Our Sugar Bear Stable’s Boston’s Phinest [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche] is set for her first start for trainer Bruce Brown since she was purchased for $95,000 at the recent Fasig-Tipton February Digital Sale. The Honest Mischief bay was second three starts back to the still-unbeaten With the Angels in the one-mile Maid of the Mist on October 27 here for her former trainer Chad Brown.
Boston’s Phinest, bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Cypress Creek Equine, exited that effort to post fourths in the eligible-sired $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue and last out in the East View when 9 3/4 lengths back of the victorious Bernieandtherose.
Peter Kazamias’ stakes-placed Storm Changer [post 3, Julio Hernandez] enters from her aforementioned half-length defeat to Bernieandtherose in the East View. Trained by Dimitrios Synnefias, the Name Changer dark bay moved in the turn to take over from the favored Naive Melody, but was caught in the final jumps. The chart notes that Storm Changer lost her right hind shoe nearing the half-mile.
Storm Changer was previously seventh in the NYSSS Fifth Avenue after a successful debut sprinting six furlongs on November 16 here. Bred by Kaz Hill Farm, Storm Changer is out of the unraced Stormy Atlantic mare Stormin Sistas, a half-sister to dual stakes-winner Sirenusa.
Rounding out the field are Army Gal [post 6, Jose Lezcano], who won a state-bred six-furlong optional claimer on Sunday here for trainer Linda Rice, and maiden-winners Lady Wisdom [post 5, Lane Luzzi] for trainer William Morey and Howling Wind [post 1, Ruben Silvera] for conditioner James Ferraro.
The Maddie May is slated as Race 4 on Saturday’s 10-race card, which also features the state-bred $125,000 Gander in Race 9. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.
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