Teddy’s Rocket returns in $150K Woodhaven

Steven Duncker, St. Elias Stables, Susan Karches and Vicarage Stable’s Teddy’s Rocket will make his seasonal debut in Saturday’s $150,000 Woodhaven, a one-mile inner turf test for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Miguel Clement, the Liam’s Map bay graduated at first asking in August at Saratoga Race Course, saving ground in third position before pouncing to the lead at the stretch call and staying on for a half-length score over the rallying Noble Dynasty, who exited that event to graduate next out.

Teddy’s Rocket [post 3, Manny Franco] followed with a closing 1 1/2-length fourth to the victorious Argos in the one-mile Grade 1 Summer in September at Woodbine Racetrack. There, he exited the outermost post 10 over the inner turf and was bumped hard into the first turn. He settled in seventh position through three-quarters in 1:12.38 and rallied eight-wide into the lane to miss third by a half-length. He earned a career-best 77 Beyer Speed Figure for his first stakes try.

“He was a bit green, and antics probably proved to be costly in that race to be beaten a length and a half in a Grade 1. A bit different racing luck would have maybe made a big difference that day,” Clement said.

The $120,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, out of the stakes-placed Quality Road mare Autonomous, has trained into his return with Clement’s Florida division at Payson Park where he covered a half-mile in 51.40 seconds on April 12 on turf and followed Saturday with a five-eighths work in 1:02.60 on dirt.

Clement said he’s hopeful a good outing on Saturday will propel Teddy’s Rocket for blast off in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Pennine Ridge on June 4 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga or the Grade 3 Penn Mile on May 29 at Penn National.

“He’s coming into the race off only a few works. He’s a good horse, and usually they can overcome it. I think he’ll be competitive, and without a doubt, he’ll improve from the race,” Clement said. “He’s done well with his weight – a little too well, and he’s not quite 100 percent fit. Nevertheless, a race under his belt would be the best thing for him.”

Clement indicated jockey Manny Franco will have options in terms of engineering a trip.

“He’s versatile. He can be forwardly placed, he can be at the back, he can be last…he doesn’t have a preferred running style as of yet,” Clement said.

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will send out Tampa Bay Downs maiden winner Instability [post 1, Flavien Prat]. Brown, who won this race previously with Unanimous Consent [2022] and Belouni [2023], has also entered Growth Equity for the main-track only.

Klaravich Stables’ Instability, an Irish-bred by Lope de Vega, drew off to a 4 1/2-length debut score traveling one-mile over good going on March 6. The winning effort garnered a 73 Beyer.

The $591,663 purchase from the 2024 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale is out of the stakes-winning Dark Angel mare Miss Katie Mae – a half-sister to Group 3-winners Eastern Impact and Summerghand.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse sends out dirt Grade 3-placed Blinging It Back [post 7, Dylan Davis] and maiden winner Blackmail [post 4, Javier Castellano], who is cross-entered in a Friday allowance here.

Blinging It Back, a Volatile gelding owned by Gary Barber and Peter Deutsch, made his first four starts on dirt, including second-place finishes in the Listed Tremont and Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga. He graduated at fifth asking when switched to turf for the first time in September, rallying to a one-length score traveling 6 1/2-furlongs at Kentucky Downs.

The $80,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase closed to finish a neck third in his seasonal debut in the 7 1/2-furlong Cutler Bay on March 28 at Gulfstream Park – of which the runner-up, Ababajoni, returned to win a turf allowance on Friday there.

Blinging It Back, a half-brother to multiple stakes-winner Ima Discreet Lady [51-15-11-9, $700,670], is out of the multiple stakes-placed Too Much Bling mare Ima Three Blinger.

Gary Barber's Blackmail graduated at second asking in gate-to-wire fashion in November over the Gulfstream synthetic. He has followed with a trio of turf starts in Florida, including a pacesetting effort traveling one-mile on Valentine’s Day at Tampa Bay Downs where he crossed the wire third but was disqualified and placed seventh for interference into the first turn.

The $150,000 Fasig-Tipton February Digital Sale purchase is out of the winning Street Cry mare Waving – a half-sister to 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar.

Rounding out the field are the Grade 3-placed Longshoreman [post 6, Jaime Rodriguez], who is cross-entered in the aforementioned Friday allowance for trainer Wesley Ward; the Keith Desormeaux-trained Casa Cielo [post 2, John Velazquez], carrying a field-high 124 pounds, and winner of the 1 1/16-mile Kitten’s Joy over firm turf in September at Colonial Downs; and dirt stakes-placed Blue Forty Two [post 5, Christopher Elliott], who makes just his second turf start for conditioner Rachel Sells.

The Woodhaven is slated as Race 4 on Saturday’s 10-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.  

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