Dreamer's Disease, Laobanonaprayer Top Aqueduct Stakes

After running sixth in last month's TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1), Dreamer's Disease will make his Empire State debut in the $250,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Great White Way Vision, while Laobanonaprayer headlines the $250,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue Division as Aqueduct Racetrack on the Dec. 6. Both races are at seven furlongs for juveniles sired by New York stallions. 

Dreamer's Disease cuts back to one turn off his Breeders' Cup effort. Owned by Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith, Dreamer's Disease started his career on dirt when eighth in July at Ellis Park. Trainer Robertino Diodoro moved the Kentucky-bred Laoban  colt to turf for his next two starts, resulting in his second-out win Aug. 8 at Ellis before running off the board in his stakes bow in the More Than Ready Juvenile Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs.

After posting a 4 1/2-length score in his return to the main track Oct. 3 at Keeneland, Dreamer's Disease stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the Breeders' Cup. Leading the field of 14 early through a taxing pace, he tired in the stretch.

"He's training well and bounced out of the race really good," Diodoro said. "We were going to give him a break but with this race here, and how he came out of it, we figured to give it a shot. The distance sets up well, especially coming off a mile and a couple of ticks, I think it's going to suit him quite well."

A daughter of Laoban is one of the top contenders in the Fifth Avenue as Laobanonaprayer, bred in the Empire State by Christina Deronda, enters off a 5 1/2-length romp in the one-mile Maid of the Mist for state-breds on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park. That effort marked her maiden win.

"She put me in a perfect spot and she was traveling easy," said jockey Kendrick Carmouche, who was aboard that day and is scheduled to ride Sunday. "She finished up really well. I think the cutback in distance will be even better for her. He told me she's been training really well. We'll just break and sit and watch it develop."

The victory marked the first stakes score for Velazquez, who then doubled his stakes total in the very next race when Brooklyn Strong—entered in the Dec. 5 Remsen Stakes (G2) at the Big A—captured the Sleepy Hollow.

Carmouche leads all riders at the Aqueduct fall meet with 16 wins and purse earnings of $968,619, through Dec. 2. 

Laobanonaprayer, who Velazquez said is training without blinkers but will race with them Sunday, has posted a pair of bullet works after the Maid of the Mist score, including a five-eighths effort in 1:00 3/5 Saturday at Delaware Park.

Sunday's card also includes the $100,000 Garland of Roses Stakes, a spring for older fillies and mares at six furlongs.

Entries: New York Stallion Series S.

Aqueduct Racetrack, Sunday, December 06, 2020, Race 6

• STK
• 7f
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 2:45 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Gray Destiny (NY)	Jose Lezcano	120	Christophe Clement	5/2
2	2Tangerine Dream (NY)	Charlie Marquez	118	Karl M. Grusmark	50/1
3	3Shanes Pretty Lady (NY)	Joel Rosario	120	Todd A. Pletcher	6/1
4	4Jill's a Hot Mess (NY)	John R. Velazquez	118	John C. Kimmel	20/1
5	5Pazzion (NY)	Andre Shivnarine Worrie	120	Jeremiah C. Englehart	30/1
6	6Ms Wicked (ON)	Dylan Davis	120	Wayne Potts	12/1
7	7Vive La Liberty (NY)	Luis Cardenas	118	Patrick J. Quick	50/1
8	8Pop the Bubbly (NY)	Manuel Franco	118	Michelle Nevin	12/1
9	9Athena Dancer (NY)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	Wayne Potts	10/1
10	10U Should B Dancing (NY)	Junior Alvarado	118	Patrick J. Kelly	20/1
11	11Laobanonaprayer (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	122	Daniel Velazquez	9/5
12	12Flower's Fortune (NY)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	118	Jeremiah C. Englehart	10/1