Waralo in good form heading into $150K Ashley T. Cole
My Purple Haze Stables’ Waralo looks to follow up his local Listed Elusive Quality win on Saturday during Closing Weekend’s $150,000 Ashley T. Cole, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for New York-breds 3-years-old and up, at Belmont at the Big A.
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will say farewell to Aqueduct Racetrack with a memorable Closing Weekend celebration on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28. For a full listing of onsite activities and to order tickets in advance, please visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/visit/farewell/.
Following the conclusion of live racing on June 28, Aqueduct Racetrack will remain open for simulcasting through Monday, September 7.
Trained by Chris Englehart, Waralo captured the Listed Elusive Quality over course and distance last out on May 2. There, the 7-year-old War Dancer gelding set the pace under Ricardo Santana, Jr. and held off dual graded stakes-placed Twenty Six Black by a neck in a final time of 1:09.23, which registered a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.
Waralo was making his seasonal debut, having previously been a one-length runner-up to that same rival in the six-furlong state-bred New York Turf Sprint Championship in October here. Twenty Six Black exited their recent matchup to finish a rallying 1 1/2-length fourth to Reef Runner in the Grade 1 Jaipur on June 6 Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga Race Course.
Waralo made 18 starts on dirt before switching to grass six starts back and winning a state-bred allowance over course and distance. The dark bay’s form has been strong since the surface change, winning 4-of-6 turf starts, with close seconds in his misses.
“He always ran well on the dirt, and then he stopped running so well,” said Englehart. “I always knew he had some turf pedigree. He’s by War Dancer, but I just didn’t want to switch him to turf because he was running well on dirt. When he stopped running well on dirt, I just tried the turf, and well, that was the answer.”
Waralo [post 1, Jose Lezcano], 24-10-7-2 overall with $463,305 in earnings, was bred in the Empire State by Casey Newick. He is a half-brother to stakes winners Bust Another, Bustin It and May Shares, out of the winning Intidab mare I Drink Alone - a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Pavo.
“Too bad I waited so long to try him on turf,” Englehart said. “I should’ve done it a lot sooner, but better late than never.”
J and N Stables and Diamond M Stable’s Dancing Buck [post 7, Ruben Silvera] makes his first start since winning the Listed Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship over course and distance in November. Trained by Michelle Nevin, the 8-year-old War Dancer gelding has five wins over the local turf, including the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint in 2022 and the Listed Elusive Quality in 2024.
Dancing Buck, bred by co-owner J and N Stables out of the multiple stakes-placed Catienus mare Frivolous Buck, boasts a career record of 26-8-5-1 with $699,588 in earnings.
Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber’s Bold Journey [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche] has field-best earnings of just over $1 million via a 36-8-11-4 record. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 7-year-old Hard Spun gelding made his first three starts this year on dirt, including a nose score over the Nevin-trained Full Moon Madness in the six-furlong Grade 3 Tom Fool in February here.
Bold Journey, bred by Fred W. Hertrich, III, and John D. Fielding, exited the Tom Fool to finish third in a six-furlong dirt optional claimer in April at Keeneland ahead of a last-out seventh in the Jaipur. He was second in the Ashley T. Cole last year to Senbei, one of five silver medals during his past 10-start campaign.
Trainer Linda Rice sends out Sacrosanct [post 2, Manny Franco] for his turf debut and Three B’s [post 8, Reylu Gutierrez], who she claimed back for $32,000 in August at Saratoga Race Course.
Lady Sheila Stable’s Sacrosanct is 6-for-9 lifetime, including three restricted stakes wins as a juvenile here en route to New York-bred Champion 2-Year-Old Honors for previous trainer Brad Cox. The 4-year-old Honest Mischief bay moved to Rice’s care for his second of two starts last year, and this year has posted a 2-for-3 record, all in local allowance-level dirt sprints.
Bred by Burleson Farms, Mckenzie Bloodstock and Sequel Thoroughbreds, Sacrosanct, out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Vibrato, was a $260,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
The most recent two stakes contested at the Big A, both six-furlong turf sprints, were won by progeny of Honest Mischief, including Celtic Dawn [NYSSS Cupecoy’s Joy on June 13] and Nessuna Pagina [NYSSS Spectacular Bid on June 20], who led an Honest Mischief trifecta over Illmatic and Spirit of New York.
Three B’s cuts back from a one-turn dirt mile optional claiming score on May 16 here. The nose victory over Concorde Spirit and next-out winner Ez Roll earned a career-best 85 Beyer. The 4-year-old Collected bay, bred by Peter Moore, was off-the-board in his lone turf start last May among his 21-6-4-1 career record.
Rounding out the field are multiple graded stakes-placed Run Curtis Run [post 3, Dylan Davis] for trainer Mike Maker; stakes-winner Courtly Banker [post 4, Katie Davis] for conditioner Barclay Tagg; and the George Weaver-trained pair of three-time winner Twisted Filigree [post 5, Jaime Rodriguez] and maiden victor Counter Move [post 9, Edgard Zayas].
Light Man is entered for the main track-only.
The Ashley T. Cole is slated as Race 8 on Saturday’s 11-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
America’s Day at the Races presents live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
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