Leading trainer Linda Rice well represented on Saturday’s Winter Starter Championships card at the Big A

Trainer Linda Rice will have a number of chances across Saturday’s lucrative Winter Starter Championships program featuring seven starter allowance events offering a combined $545,000 in purse money, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Rice has entered a total of five horses into the seven Winter Starter Championships races, which are open to horses that have started for a prescribed claiming price in 2025-26. Each race in the series is named after some of the most popular claiming horses to run on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit. First post on the nine-race card is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

Rice is both the leading trainer [60 wins] and leading owner [26 wins] at the Big A winter meet which concludes on Sunday, March 29. She noted the Winter Starter Championships is an important card for her program.

"We always look forward to this day," said Rice. "We have quite a few horses throughout the card, let's just hope we can get to the winner's circle with some of them.

"We're always hoping to claim ourselves to the winner's circle, whether in a stakes race or a [starter] race, so this day is always exciting for me and my staff,” Rice added. “It's fun to watch horses develop and turn into something.”

Rice will saddle Adventurist [post 7, Sahin Civaci] in the $85,000 Stud Muffin [Race 8], an 11-furlong stamina test for older horses which have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2025-26.

The 4-year-old Curlin chestnut, out of the Grade 3-winning Tapit mare Touching Beauty, was initially purchased for $500,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He was haltered by Rice for just $20,000 from a fourth-out maiden score in July at Saratoga Race Course and subsequently has made four starts this winter at the Big A, notching two wins and a second.

"I liked his pedigree,” Rice said, regarding the claim. “He was young, lightly raced and I feel those type of horses have a greater chance to improve. He trains like a horse that wants the distance, and I think the mile and three-eighths will be right up his alley."

Adventurist will need to put away a tough pair from the barn of trainer Ilkay Kantarmaci in Indy Rags [post 9, Jaime Rodriguez], who won a claiming route here Saturday and Kevin’s Strike [post 8, Angel Castillo], who finished a good second in allowance company last out over a sloppy and sealed track on March 5 at Parx Racing.

A competitive field includes Good Bali [post 1, Luis Rivera, Jr.], Sharp Spark [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche], Bob John Ray [post 3, Manny Franco], Centavo [post 4, Omar Hernandez Moreno], Unbridled Bomber [post 5, Luis Pena], Power Seeker [post 6, Ruben Silvera], and Margie’s Fun Son [post 10, Andrew Wolfsont].

Rice owns and trains both Pens Street [post 1, Kendrick Carmouche] and Minnesota Munny [post 7, Jose Lezcano] in the $85,000 Sis City [Race 4], a one-turn mile for older filles and mares which have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2025-26.

Pens Street, an 8-year-old Street Sense mare, has banked $359,946 via a 41-9-7-6 ledger. She was claimed back by Rice for $40,000 in October here and has hit the board in 3-of-4 starts since led by a neck score in a nine-furlong optional-claimer in November.

"I lost her for $16,000 but that's the race that makes her eligible for this race. She's raced quite well - we won an 'a other than' with her at a mile and an eighth. The flat mile is a little short for her, but not impossible," Rice said.

Minnesota Munny, a 4-year-old Munnings chestnut, has won 6-of-15 starts. The well-traveled filly has raced at 11 different tracks and - after being claimed for $40,000 from a winning effort in December at Turfway Park - landed third in her Big A debut for Rice.

"We've only run her once here but she's young and I think she can keep improving," said Rice, who will also be represented by Mursal [Belle Gallantey] and Despo's Dream [Videogenic] in the starter events.

Also entered are Shetalkstomuch [post 2, Francisco Martinez], Pistol Liz Ablazen [post 3, Ruben Silvera], Sweet Laura [post 4, Mychel Sanchez], Bourbon Serengeti [post 5, Manny Franco], Rachel’s Rock [post 6, Jaime Rodriguez] and She’s Cool [post 8, Reylu Gutierrez].

The Winter Starter Championships Series kicks off in Race 3 as Flying P Stable’s Proprietary Trade [post 2, Manny Franco] looks to bring his win streak to three-in-a-row in the $80,000 Peeping Tom, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older horses who started for a claiming price of $20,000 or less in 2025-26.

Trained by Mike Maker, the 5-year-old Practical Joke gelding was haltered for $75,000 out of a win in August 2024 at Saratoga Race Course, and has made five starts for current connections, finding his best stride in his last two starts with a seven-length claiming romp in November at Churchill Downs and a last-out starter allowance victory by two lengths on February 14 at Oaklawn Park.

The field is completed by last-out winner and state-bred stakes-winner Sheriff Bianco [post 3, Christopher Elliott], as well as Scoot Daddy [post 1, Jose Baez], Carvellian Quest [post 4, Mychel Sanchez], Burninhunkoflove [post 5, Reylu Gutierrez], Kid Billy [post 6, Ruben Silvera], Spirit Dragon [post 7, Jaime Rodriguez] and Market Maven [post 8, Silvestre Gonzalez].

Rase Stable’s J J’s Ranger [post 10, Francisco Martinez] is in strong form ahead of the $75,000 More to Tell [Race 5], a one-turn mile for older horses which have started for a claiming price of $16,000 or less in 2025-26.

Trained by Gregory DiPrima, the 5-year-old Oscar Performance gelding was haltered for $10,000 out of a pacesetting 8 1/2-length romp over course and distance on February 28, next stepping up in class for a third in a nine-furlong starter allowance on March 8 here. That performance earned a career-best 81 Beyer and the bay certainly outran his 30-1 odds.

Listed in post position order, the field is completed by Life and Light [post 1, Trevor Simpson], Great Richie M [post 2, Eric Cancel], Peek [post 3, Dalila Rivera, blinkers ON], Shootersgottashoot [post 4, Sahin Civaci], Lotsa Trouble [post 5, Manny Franco], Laughing Boy [post 6, Ruben Silvera], Farm Team [post 7, Gokhan Kocakaya], Dr. Merciless [post 8, Omar Hernandez Moreno] and Flat On [post 9, Noel Herman].

The six-furlong $80,000 Videogenic [Race 6], for older fillies and mares which have started for a claiming price of $20,000 or less in 2025-26, is topped by the streaking Bam’s Bliss Kiss [post 2, Jaime Rodriguez].

Trained by Jorge Abreu for owner Mad Dog Racing Stable, the 4-year-old New York-bred by Solomini brought her win streak to four-in-a-row last out with a two-length score in a local seven-furlong optional claiming tilt facing open company on February 13. She was haltered by Abreu for $45,000 out of her win two starts back in a state-bred optional claimer on December 31, and has earned respective Beyer Speed Figures of 80 and 84 for her last two wins.

She will face opposition from last-out winners Majestic Return [post 4, Reylu Gutierrez] and Mezcalifornia [post 9, Jorge Vargas, Jr.], as well as Looks First [post 1, Manny Franco], City Blocks [post 3, Sahin Civaci], Brzina [post 5, Ruben Silvera], Despo’s Dream [post 6, Jose Lezcano], La Gran Artesana [post 7, Oscar Gomez] and Literary [post 8, Luis Rivera, Jr.].

The $70,000 Dads Caps [Race 7], a six-furlong sprint for older horses which have started for a claiming price of $12,500 or less in 2025-26, is headlined by a pair of last-out winners for trainer Ilkay Kantarmaci in Shoot the Nickel and Play.

Shoot the Nickel [post 10, Manny Franco], owned by Kantarmaci with Abdool Mandal and Five Horsemen Stables, is 4-2-1-1 this year including a last out nose score in a 5 1/2-furlong starter allowance on February 26 here. That performance, which came one week after a local nose second, earned a career-best 86 Beyer Speed Figure for the 4-year-old Violence gelding.

Play [post 5, Gokhan Kocakaya], campaigned by the same connections, won a claimer by a neck last out over course and distance on March 19. The 6-year-old gelding earned a career-best 83 Beyer in the pacesetting victory and has been entered back quickly for the Dads Caps.

The field is completed by Dot's Dollar [post 1, Luis Rivera, Jr.], Messi the Magician [post 2, Heman Harkie, blinkers ON], Lucky Dude [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche], Total Sensation [post 4, Angel Rodriguez], Forgiving Spirit [post 6, Ruben Silvera], Glint [post 7, Reylu Gutierrez], Cold Feet [post 8, Eliseo Ruiz] and Master of Arms [post 9, Jaime Rodriguez].

Michael Dubb’s Pop Rox [post 10, Manny Franco] leads the $70,000 Belle Gallantey [Race 9], a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares which have started for a claiming price of $12,500 or less in 2025-26.

The 4-year-old Munnings filly has made her last 15 efforts at Gulfstream Park, including her first start for trainer Jose D’Angelo last out when winning a six-furlong starter optional claimer by a nose on February 8. That was the chestnut’s fourth consecutive victory, yielding a career-best 83 Beyer, and now Pop Rox heads north for deeper waters.

Rounding out the field in post position order are Miss Lao [post 1, Eric Cancel], Lika Rolling Stone [post 2, Jaime Rodriguez], Pink Rose [post 3, Luis Rivera, Jr.], Edistrudis [post 4, Gokhan Kocakaya], Golden Eib Micrphn [post 5, Mychel Sanchez], Mursal [post 6, Jose Lezcano], Jackie the Joker [post 7, Ruben Silvera], Farm House [post 8, Omar Hernandez Moreno, blinkers ON], Whistler's Style [post 9, Christopher Elliott], Best Impression [post 11, Reylu Gutierrez] and Coquito [post 12, Kendrick Carmouche].  

America's Day at the Races presents live coverage and analysis of every day of the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.