Aqueduct Preview | NYSS Fifth Avenue 2023: Soloshot Headlines Field Of 12

Bregman Family Racing, Jackpot Farm and Swinbank Stables’ Soloshot headlines a robust field of 12 in Saturday’s $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Fifth Avenue, slated as Race 8 for eligible New York-sired juvenile fillies, co-headlines a lucrative Saturday program also offering the $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way for eligible state-sired juveniles in Race 9. Both races are contested at seven furlongs on the main track. First post on the 10-race card is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

Trained by George Weaver, Soloshot, one of five Solomini progeny entered here, won her first two career outings in gate-to-wire fashion traveling 5 1/2-furlongs on the main track against fellow New York-breds. The speedy chestnut graduated by 7 3/4-lengths on debut in August at Saratoga Race Course ahead of a two-length score in the Lady Finger on September 25 at Finger Lakes.

Soloshot bobbled at the break last out in the six-furlong state-bred Key Cents and rushed into contention before fading to finish a distant fifth.

Blair Golen, Weaver’s New York-based assistant, said she is hopeful returning rider Manny Franco can work out a smoother trip when they exit post 11.

“She’s doing well. Hopefully, she breaks a little better to be able to get the lead. I think that helps her,” Golen said. “She’s filled out a little bit since I’ve got her and I think she’s going to be a very useful horse. She’s training well and doing well. Her two wins were at 5 1/2-furlongs, but I think she’ll be fine at seven.”

The $290,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale purchase, bred in the Empire State by Rhapsody Farm, is out of the multiple stakes-placed Twirling Candy mare Sweet Queen, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Queen Ofthe Catsle.

Bad Boy Racing’s New York homebred My Perfect Mistake [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche] graduated by 1 3/4-lengths on November 10 here as the mutuel favorite for trainer Rob Atras.

With returning rider Kendrick Carmouche up from post 5-of-6 in the six-furlong state-bred sprint, the Freud dark bay broke inward causing returning rival Tour Jete to steady. My Perfect Mistake raced wide down the backstretch before making a three-wide move through the turn to take command once straightened away. The dark bay stayed on strong to the wire to hold off the late charge of Tour Jete.

Atras said he used the maiden effort as a prep for Saturday’s lucrative test.

“With her being New York-sired we’ve had this race in mind, but we wanted to get a race into her,” Atras said. “I knew she might be a little green and a little short, but she did show a little bit of ability and I wanted to get her started. She ran a little green but Kendrick gave her a great ride and she won. I’m hoping she’ll move forward off that race.”

My Perfect Mistake worked a half-mile Friday in 50.95 seconds over the Belmont training track in company with Perliano, who is entered in a Friday state-bred allowance here.

Out of the Super Saver mare To the Nines, My Perfect Mistake is a half-sister to the stakes-placed G Munning.

Shea D Boy’s Stable’s stakes-placed My Shea D Lady [post 2, Javier Castellano] will make her fourth straight appearance in stakes company for trainer Carlos David.

The Solomini dark bay graduated at first asking by 3 1/4-lengths out of a key five-furlong maiden special weight in July at Gulfstream Park that runner-up Fiona’s Magic and third-place Cherokee exited to graduate.

My Shea D Lady, bred in New York by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, then shipped north to contest a trio of state-bred sprints, finishing a distant third in the six-furlong Seeking the Ante in August and fourth here in both the seven-furlong Joseph A. Gimma in September and six-furlong Key Cents last out on November 18.

The $100,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase is out of the Teuflesberg mare Ladyberg, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Hoosick Falls and stakes-placed Manor Prospect.

Artemis Girl [post 10, Jose Gomez], a Solomini chestnut bred in New York by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds and Empire Equines, will make her dirt debut following a fourth-place finish in the one-mile Tepin on November 17 here.

Trained and co-owned by David Donk with John Behrendt, Charles Marquis, Suzanne Haslup, Sean Carney, William Punk, Jr. and Philip DiLeo, Artemis Girl stalked and pounced to a three-quarter length score in her November 2 debut traveling 1 1/16-miles against fellow state-breds over good Big A turf at 50-1 odds.

The $30,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase followed last out with an even fourth-place finish in the Tepin while racing on two weeks’ rest.

Artemis Girl, a half-sister to turf stakes-winner General Ken, is out of the Malibu Moon mare Dancing Onthemoon, who is a half-sister to Mail – a frontrunning winner of the 2013 Traskwood here traveling 1 1/16-miles over the old inner dirt course.

Wizard Stables’ maiden winner Walk With Me [post 8, Dylan Davis] maiden a winning debut in a six-furlong state-bred sprint on November 9 for trainer David Duggan.

The Central Banker bay, bred in the Empire State by Richard Nicolai, made every pole a winning one to post a narrow head score over Call Her Bluff, who subsequently finished fourth when stretched out one furlong at the same classification. Walk With Me, a $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale purchase, earned a 52 Beyer in her debut score.

She is out of the multiple stakes-placed Posse mare Might Be, who is a full-sister to multiple stakes-winner Sheriffa and a half-sister to stakes-winner Tiergan.

Adam Madkour’s maiden-claiming winner Sun and Wind [post 12, Ruben Silvera] will step up in class for three-time Fifth Avenue-winning conditioner Rudy Rodriguez.

The Freud dark bay dropped in for a $30,000 tag at the state-bred level last out on October 20 and made every pole a winning one in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint contested over a sloppy and sealed main track.

Sun and Wind, bred by Sequel New York and Stonegate Stables, sports a ledger of 5-1-0-2.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who won this event in 2021 with the maiden Yo Cuz, will look to repeat that feat when he sends out a pair of maidens in Book of Wisdom [post 7, Junior Alvarado], who boasts a perfect in-the-money record of 4-0-3-1, and Miss Lao [post 1, Eric Cancel], who finished a distant fourth on debut.

Other maidens looking to graduate in style are the Horacio De Paz-trained Tour Jete [post 5, Jose Lezcano] and the James Ferraro-conditioned Holder Close [post 4, Eliseo Ruiz]; as well as debutantes Elite Status [post 9, Trevor McCarthy] for trainer John Terranova and E Stormy [post 3, Romero Maragh] for three-time Fifth Avenue-winning trainer Linda Rice.