A new shooter in the Derby mix

Though his itinerary remained a matter of discussion after Adriano returned to Polytrack at Turfway Park and won the Lane’s End Stakes with a certain degree of authority, it will be difficult to deny him the chance to run in the Kentucky Derby.

Though his one race on dirt was something of a disaster, there is no real reason to believe he is unsuited to the surface and his performance on Saturday, an emphatic rebound from a troubled ninth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, strongly suggests advancing form. Unfortunately, there will be no opportunity for trainer Graham Motion to test Adriano on dirt prior to May 3. His four wins are divided equally between Polytrack and grass, but he is by A.P. Indy from a Mr. Prospector mare, so the leap of faith based upon pedigree would not be misplaced.

Sometimes, all you can do is shake your head

There was a hint of disbelief in Tom Durkin’s tone when he announced on the afternoon of his return to Aqueduct that jockey Edward Escobar has lodged an objection against Ramon Dominguez, who had finished third in the seventh races aboard Determined Loyalty, and Emanuel De Diego, who was partnered with the unplaced Tristan’s Pal, alleging interference at the break.

Escobar, who rode Walking the Edge, lost his irons at the break. But rather than having been the victim, the replay showed that Escobar’s mount broke inward and slammed Tristan’s Pal while Dominguez’s mount escaped the early melee. The claim was dismissed, but if ever there was a frivolous claim of foul that merits penalty, this was it. The horse Escobar rode not only caused the problem but was 170.75-1 in a field of $20,000 maiden claimers and beaten by more than 40 lengths.

Distaff: Rite Moment in time

By Francis LaBelle Jr. /NYRA

Rite Moment had already proven herself as a hard-knocking horse during her three-year-old, predominantly Midwest campaign last year, which explains why trainer Gary Contessa was anxious to bring her to New York.

In four starts for Contessa entering Saturday’s card at Aqueduct, she notched three wins and her only loss was by a half-length to Beau Dare in the Correction Handicap on February 9.

But on Saturday afternoon, before a crowd of 4,102, Rite Moment again came through for Contessa and her owners, Winning Move Stable and Seidman Stable, as she wore down front-running Your Flame in Me for a one-length victory in the 54th running of the $143,900, six-furlong Distaff Handicap – the first Grade 2 stakes race in New York this year.

“When this filly came across the FAX machine, I said, `Oh my God! I have to have this horse,’” Contessa said. “I didn’t know what to expect. I was thinking maybe she could win an `a other than,’ and then run her for 40 or 50 thousand. When she got here, she acted like she had some quality.

“She has exceeded my expectations. She never bounces. She comes back on two or three weeks rest and runs the same race. She’s a big, strong filly; a half hour after we put her in the gate, she’ll have eaten eight quarts of grain. She eats like a colt, trains like a colt and runs against fillies. It’s kind of cool.”

Jockey Rajiv Maragh was also kind of cool, as he kept Rite Moment on the rail as Your Flame in Me and jockey Mario Pino took to the lead on the fast track and set a pace of 22.58, 45.69 and 57.61 on the fast track. Both Court System and Beau Dare cam with rallies on the outside, and in early stretch, those two and Rite Moment were three abreast with Your Flame in Me still on the lead.

But as soon as space appeared, Maragh got his mount out and after the leader and came home the winner in 1:09.86.

“I knew she would put me in the right position, being that I got the rail,” Maragh said. “I hoped to sit that pocket trip over this track. Off the turn, I was trying to maneuver so I would have enough space to get out. Chuckie (Lopez on Beau Dare) was intent on holding me in, so I just sat patiently. It is an honor to ride horses like her. I’ve won a bunch of Grade 3s, but this is my first Grade 2.”

Maragh, who came back to win the 10th and final race on Saturday with August Rex ($15.80) will get another chance at a Grade 2 victory, as Contessa said he would likely run Rite Moment back here on the main track on Saturday, April 19 in the Grade 2, $150,000 Bed O’Roses at seven furlongs.

A four-year-old daughter of Vicar, Rite Moment returned $7.30 to win. Scatkey was third, followed by Control System and Beau Dare.


Ah, that Florida weather …

From Gulfstream Park

A daylong deluge Saturday led to the second cancellation of a racing card in progress this meet, with officials calling off the remainder of the program after the day’s sixth race.

Racing was cancelled after the first race Feb. 13 when storms struck and washed out the remainder of that card.

Earlier on Saturday’s card, the fourth and sixth races were rained off the turf and run on the main track, making Saturday the 15th day of the meet requiring a surface change from grass to main track.

“The safety of horse and rider are always of paramount concern to us and once again conditions were such that the only prudent course of action was to keep everyone safe by cancelling the remainder of the card,” said Bernie Hettel, Racing Operations Manager of Gulfstream Park.

An unusually wet winter – combined with rain, lightning and thunder on the third day of spring – led to the 15th day of racing this meet that races were shifted off the turf course and on to the main track.

A decision on the status of the Grade 2 Shirley Jones Handicap, in which Sugar Swirl was to have bid for a sweep of the three sprint stakes for older fillies and mares, will be made in the coming days.