Miss Brazil Heads Lightly Raced Talent in Ruthless
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Miss Brazil scores in a maiden race at Aqueduct
Team D's Miss Brazil, a fast 2 1/2-length winner at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 29, is heavily favored to score a repeat victory in the $100,000 Ruthless Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs Feb. 8 at Aqueduct.
The race had originally been scheduled for Feb. 7 but the entire Sunday card at Aqueduct was moved to Monday due to the threat of a winter storm.
BLOODHORSE: NYRA Shifts Feb. 7 Card at Aqueduct to Feb. 8
Miss Brazil, a Palace Malice filly, enters her sophomore bow well-rested following her front-running effort last fall at Aqueduct, which had followed a debut third in a turf sprint at Belmont Park. She is even-money on the morning line for a race that drew just five entrants.
Purchased for $170,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Randy Miles consignment, Miss Brazil will face stakes company for the first time following a string of five strong breezes over Belmont's dirt training track.
"The way she liked Aqueduct, it was a big reason to keep her right here instead of going to Florida with her instead of New Orleans or Oaklawn, because she took such a liking to Aqueduct's surface," trainer Tony Dutrow said.
Jockey Eric Cancel, aboard for her first two starts, will have the return call from the inside post.
Like Miss Brazil, Little Huntress also broke her maiden at second asking and will face stakes company for the first time.
The gray daughter of Frosted scored a gate-to-wire 14-length win Dec. 27 at Laurel Park going the Ruthless distance for trainer Brittany Russell. Owned by Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Robert LaPenta, Little Huntress worked a bullet half-mile in :48 Jan. 29 in preparation for the Ruthless.
"She worked really well the other day," Russell said. "We try and give all of our young horses every option in the morning and her best works are just 'go.' We've tried rating her, but she just wants to go. The way she won last month was really cool to see."
Little Huntress will ship in for a race for the first time after making her first two starts at Laurel. Meet-leading rider Kendrick Carmouche will ride from post 4.
WinStar Stablemates Racing's Gulf Coast earned a stakes win in her last start, besting Honorifique by a half-length in the one-mile Cash Run Stakes on New Year's Day at Gulfstream Park.
The daughter of Union Rags was also entered in the Feb. 6 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
Rounding out the field is Dealing Justice, a winner going six furlongs on Jan. 10 at Aqueduct at second asking for trainer Ray Handal; and It Can, who won her first two starts for trainer Rafael Jose Rohena before running fifth in the Xtra Heat Stakes Jan. 16 at Laurel.
With its short field, the Ruthless is positioned early on the Sunday program as the third race. Post time is 2:23 p.m. ET.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Sunday, February 07, 2021, Race 3Entries: Ruthless S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Miss Brazil (KY)
Eric Cancel
118
Anthony W. Dutrow
1/1
2
2Dealing Justice (KY)
Dylan Davis
118
Raymond Handal
4/1
3
3It Can (KY)
Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.
120
Rafael Jose Rohena
30/1
4
4Little Huntress (KY)
Kendrick Carmouche
118
Brittany T. Russell
7/2
5
5Gulf Coast (KY)
Manuel Franco
122
Rodolphe Brisset
2/1
