Share the Ride Carries Top Weight Again in Toboggan

Weight played a key role in Share the Ride's first start at Aqueduct Racetrack.

It also figures to be a key factor when the 6-year-old Candy Ride  gelding makes a return trip to the Big A Jan. 30 for the $150,000 Toboggan Stakes (G3).

When last seen at the Ozone Park oval, Silvino Ramirez's Share the Ride notched his first graded stakes win by registering a three-quarters-of-a-length victory over Stan the Man in the Nov. 29 Fall Highweight Handicap (G3). In accordance with the name of that race, the son of the Graeme Hall mare Belle of the Hall toted an imposing 133 pounds in the six-furlong test, while Stan the Man carried a nearly equally burdensome 132 pounds.

In Saturday's stakes, when Share the Ride and Stan the Man meet again, the weights will be more in line with the typical assignments in graded stakes, but they will once again present a challenge for Share the Ride.

While Share the Ride will carry highweight of just 124 pounds against four rivals this time, he will be asked to give away two pounds to Stan the Man, who will have a 122-pound impost, and six pounds to Drafted and American Power.

He will also concede two pounds to Michael Dubb's Pete's Play Call, who beat Stan the Man by 2 1/2 lengths earlier this month in the Gravesend Stakes, the last race for both geldings.

Fortunately for trainer Antonio Arriaga, Share the Ride will enter the Toboggan as sharp as ever. After the Fall Highweight, he was second by a neck in the six-furlong Fire Plug Stakes at Laurel Park and in his last six starts he has compiled three wins and two seconds.

In his career, Share the Ride is a highly consistent 8-4-4 from 21 starts with earnings of $389,860.

A key number in those statistics is that the gelding bred by Dixiana Farms has only started twice at the seven-furlong distance of the Toboggan with a win and a head loss in last year's Bold Ruler Handicap (G3).

Based on the way he made up a little more than two lengths on Share the Ride in the stretch of the Fall Highweight, the added furlong could benefit Stan the Man.

Long Lake Stable's 7-year-old Broken Vow  gelding has been in solid form lately, finishing no worse than third in his last five tries — all in stakes company. Four starts back, he captured the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Saratoga Race Course for trainer John Terranova II.

"He's been a good horse and a fun horse for us, very consistent. Especially lately, since the summer," said Terranova, whose gelding is searching for his first graded stakes win. "We're proud of him. He's happy and healthy and this looks like the right spot for him."

Pete's Play Call, an 8-year-old Maryland-bred Munnings  gelding trained by Rudy Rodriguez, made a successful return to stakes company in the Gravesend while racing for the first time after he was claimed for $62,500.

"He's been doing great. We're just trying to keep him happy and keep him fit," Rodriguez said.

Entries: Toboggan S. (G3)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, January 30, 2021, Race 4

• Grade III
• 7f
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 1:50 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Pete's Play Call (MD)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	122	Rudy R. Rodriguez	9/5
2	2Drafted (FL)	Dylan Davis	118	David P. Duggan	12/1
3	3Share the Ride (KY)	Manuel Franco	124	Antonio Arriaga	8/5
4	4Stan the Man (KY)	Eric Cancel	122	John P. Terranova II	5/2
5	5American Power (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Rob Atras	5/1