Shared Sense Seeks Third Grade 3 Win in Discovery
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Photo: Coady Photography
Shared Sense at Churchill Downs
Though there's still more than a month left in 2020, a couple of swan songs for the year will take place Nov. 28 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Aside from the final graded turf stakes of the year in the Long Island Stakes (G3T), Saturday's card at the Big A will serve up New York's final opportunity for sophomore runners to face each other in a graded stakes strictly for 3-year-olds.
Reflective of those circumstances, trainer Brad Cox said he has been "eyeballing" the $100,000 Discovery Stakes (G3) as a spot where Godolphin's Shared Sense can add to the pair of 3-year-old graded stakes wins the homebred son of Street Sense collected this year.
The winner of both the Oklahoma Derby (G3) and Indiana Derby (G3) will close 2020 by taking on a compact field of four rivals in the 1 1/8-mile Discovery, which could serve as a launching pad to bigger and better things as a 4-year-old.
"I think it will be a good race for him, especially since it's our last chance to run against straight 3-year-olds. It's the kind of race that can enhance what he's already done, and we'll see how he comes out of it before looking ahead to next year," Cox said. "He's a very consistent and hard-trying horse that likes the 1 1/8 miles and two turns. He showed that in the Indiana Derby and the Oklahoma Derby (both at nine furlongs)."
A winner of four of 10 starts with two seconds, Shared Sense is coming off a two-length win in the Sept. 27 Oklahoma Derby, which came two starts after his three-length score in the Indiana Derby. In between, the son of the Bernardini mare Collective was fifth in the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby after drawing the outside post in a field of 12.
"He's had plenty of time between races and is training well," said Cox, a favorite for the Eclipse Award as this year's outstanding trainer after his four-win weekend at the Breeders' Cup.
The prospect of securing a graded stakes win at 3 was also appealing to the connections of Attachment Rate. The son of Hard Spun owned by Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister has started in graded races four times this year for trainer Dale Romans, with his best finish coming in a March 7 third in the Gotham Stakes (G3).
Attachment Rate wins an Oct. 29 allowance race at Churchill Downs
Though overmatched in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), when he was 14th at odds of 47-1, he was a much more competitive second to Art Collector in the Ellis Park Derby, finishing 7 1/2 lengths ahead of Shared Sense.
A wet track would not dampen his chances as he's raced on a sloppy track twice and won by 6 1/4 lengths each time, including his start in an Oct. 29 allowance race at Churchill Downs.
Cash is King and LC Racing's Monday Morning Qb raced at Aqueduct in February, finishing fourth in the Withers Stakes (G3) at a nine-furlong distance. The son of Imagining trained by Robert "Butch" Reid Jr. was second to eventual Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) winner Happy Saver in the Federico Tesio Stakes three starts back off a seven-month layoff and was an easy winner of the Maryland Million Classic Stakes for Maryland-breds in his most recent try.
"The Tesio was really the race that set him up," Reid said. "He showed that day how nice of a horse he really is, and I thought it was impressive for him to run like that off a layoff. He came out of his last race well and put up some nice, sharp breezes since that effort. It's a good opportunity to run against straight 3-year-olds, and we're looking forward to running on Saturday."
A year ago at around this time, Don Alberto Stable's Forza Di Oro was an intriguing possibility in the Dec. 7 Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct off a sharp maiden win for trainer Bill Mott. But the son of Speightstown finished a distant eighth and was then sidelined for 10 months until the 3-year-old won an Oct. 9 allowance race at Belmont Park in his most recent start.
LLP Performance Horse's Ralston ships up from Florida after a Nov. 5 allowance optional claiming win at Gulfstream Park West.
Due to the small field, the Discovery was carded as the third race of the day with a scheduled post time of 12:48 p.m. ET.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, November 28, 2020, Race 3Entries: Discovery S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Shared Sense (KY)
Jose Lezcano
124
Brad H. Cox
3/2
2
2Monday Morning Qb (MD)
Dylan Davis
120
Robert E. Reid, Jr.
5/2
3
3Forza Di Oro (KY)
Junior Alvarado
118
William I. Mott
2/1
4
4Ralston (KY)
Kendrick Carmouche
118
Carlos A. David
15/1
5
5Attachment Rate (VA)
Jose L. Ortiz
118
Dale L. Romans
4/1
