By Michael Dubb Battle Bling the final winner of the Nine-Piece Ladies Stakes, will be looking to double the stakes up against four other bet winners in the $125,000 Underworld Prize on the day. March 6, one mile at a time for lovers and older mares at Aqueduct race track.
Trained by Rob Atras and driven to perfection by Trevor McCarthy in the January 16 Ladies at the Big A, Battle Bling rallied from Thursday to take the lead. Miss Leslie and finished in third place Kiss a girl who have worked hard to win consecutive betting contests at Laurel Park.
Atras declares Battle Bling, a daughter of the dark bay Vancouver for $62,500 from a runner-up attempt against Heaven’s Cup competitor Maiden Beauty in the Dec. 19 mile-long option race at Big A.
“I’m not really worried about cutting,” Atras said. “She took a big step in the last race and it looked like she might be a little late, but she held her ground in the round of 16 and won. I think she did. He can run well, if not better than a mile.”
Atras said he will put McCarthy in charge of engineering for a successful trip.
“She has a bit of tactical speed that I think Trevor will be able to get her where she needs to be in the race depending on how fast she is,” Atras said. “In races like this, there is no room for error and the rider knowing the position of the horse in the race is certainly important.”
Hidden Brook Ranch, Joseph McMahon and Anne McMahon’s Sting’s Bank boasts a 5 to 6 record at the Big A, including a 8 1/4 point in length in the NYSSS Staten Island Stakes on December 5 and the last La Verdad win on January 2.
Coached by John Terranova II, the 5-year-old New Yorker daughter of Central Bank would be the first time she’s started against the open company.
Dylan Davis, the lead rider at the Big A winter meeting, retained the mount.
John Grossi’s Racing’s Girl beauty entered the race on Sunday with a two-race winning streak at the Big A, making its debut December 19 in a key claim to defeating Battle Bling just 11 days before qualifying for the Bay Ridge Stakes nine feathers in gate-fight fashion through a sloppy and tight mainline.
Coached by Robert Falcone Jr., a 6-year-old boy of mixed New York Revolution mare boasts a 14-5-3-1 record at the Aqueduct.
Falcone said: “She is doing very well. She hasn’t missed a beat since her last race. “We wanted to give her some time because she ran back so fast. She ran back two tough races, so we wanted her to regroup. Since then, she has been Don’t miss a meal or a day off. Right on track.”
Kendrick Carmouche is back aboard the Maiden Beauty for the Heaven Awards.
Item: The Heaven Award invites S.
Aqueduct race trackSunday, March 6, 2022, Race 7
- STK
- 1m
- Dust
- $125,000
- 4 yo & up Fillies and Mares
- 4:32 pm (local)
