Fluffy Socks Starts 2021 Campaign in Memories of Silver

Head of Plains Partners’ homebred filly Fluffy Socks  looks to get her year started in style in the April 18 $100,000 Memories of Silver Stakes over the inner turf at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 1 1/16-mile event for 3-year-old fillies closes out stakes action on closing day of the 11-day spring meet at Aqueduct. The program also includes the $200,000 NYSSS Park Avenue for New York-sired 3-year-old fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs over the main track, where Laobanonaprayer  is heavily favored at 4-5 on the morning line.

Trained by Chad Brown, Fluffy Socks makes her 2021 debut after capping her juvenile campaign with a win in the Nov. 28 Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar. Piloted by Irad Ortiz Jr., the bay daughter of Slumber   saved ground along the rail toward the rear of the field, angled wide in upper stretch, and took command around the eighth-pole, holding off a furious late inside rally from Javanica to win the one-mile event by a half-length.

A winner of three races over different turf courses, Fluffy Socks broke her maiden at second asking last September at Kentucky Downs before capturing the Selima Stakes over a yielding turf at Pimlico Race Course.

Ortiz has been aboard Fluffy Socks for three of her five starts and retains the mount from post 1.

Brown also will saddle Don Alberto Stable’s Ingrassia  as she seeks a second stakes triumph over her stablemate.

A Medaglia d'Oro   bay, Ingrassia was last seen capturing the Chelsey Flower Stakes over a soft outer turf Nov. 1 at Belmont Park, where she saved ground in between horses around the far turn and had dead aim on Fluffy Socks in mid-stretch. After moving to the inside of her stablemate, Ingrassia took command nearing the sixteenth-pole to win by a nose.

Following a successful debut win in August at Saratoga Race Course, Ingrassia acquired graded stakes black type when finishing third in the Oct. 7 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland to Aunt Pearl .

Jockey Jose Ortiz will retain the mount from post 2.

Trainer Graham Motion will send out Gainesway Stable’s Oyster Box  after a late-closing third in the Florida Oaks (G3T) March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.

The chestnut daughter of Tapit   arrived at the Florida Oaks off two victories in as many starts, breaking her maiden Oct. 3 over the Belmont Park inner turf and defeating winners on Jan. 6 at Tampa Bay Downs going one mile.

“We took the conservative route in Florida by going in the allowance race and wanted that to be sort of a prep for the Florida Oaks,” Motion said. “She ran well in the stakes race given that she didn’t get the most perfect trip. She was shuffled back a bit further than we had preferred, but it still worked out, and she was able to give a good result. She’s pretty adaptable, to be honest. Any sort of added distance won’t hurt her, and she should handle it.”

Oyster Box will break from post 5 under Manny Franco.

Christophe Clement, the leading trainer for the Aqueduct fall meet, sends out Bubbles On Ice  for her North American debut. Owned by Glen Hill Farm, Madaket Stables, and Cheyenne Stables, the Irish-bred daughter of Starspangledbanner  previously raced in her native country for James Stack, with her most recent effort being a fourth-place finish in the Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) Sept. 13 at The Curragh.

“It took her a while to get Americanized, but she’s settled in well,” said Clement, who won the 2019 Memories of Silver with Feel Glorious . “She’s been training well, and you never know for sure how they handle the ground in the U.S., but we’ll find out Sunday.”

The Memories of Silver is Race 8, immediately following the NYSSS Park Avenue (Race 7). Laobanonaprayer, a dual stakes winner by Laoban   for owner-trainer Danny Velazquez, breaks from the rail in the Park Avenue and faces five rivals, four of whom have only maiden claiming victories to their credit.

Entries: Memories Of Silver S.

Aqueduct Racetrack, Sunday, April 18, 2021, Race 8

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:07 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Fluffy Socks (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Chad C. Brown	5/2
2	2Ingrassia (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Chad C. Brown	2/1
3	3Frost Me (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	John C. Kimmel	12/1
4	4Sleek Lynx (GB)	Junior Alvarado	118	Mark E. Casse	8/1
5	5Oyster Box (KY)	Manuel Franco	120	H. Graham Motion	3/1
6	6Song of Innocence (KY)	Rider TBA	118	Jonathan Thomas	7/2
7	7Bravo Regina (KY)	Eric Cancel	118	Juan C. Vazquez	50/1
8	8Bubbles On Ice (IRE)	Javier Castellano	120	Christophe Clement	4/1