Green Light Go Returns to Stakes Action in Stymie

Stronach Stables' Green Light Go  brings rejuvenated form to the $125,000 Stymie Stakes, a one-turn mile for older horses at Aqueduct Racetrack on Feb. 26.

Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, the 5-year-old Hard Spun   bay enters from a romping nine-length score in a one-mile optional claimer on Jan. 13 at the Big A that garnered a career-best 118 Equibase Speed Figure. That effort followed a closing second in the six-furlong Fall Highweight Handicap (G3) on Nov. 28 at Aqueduct.

Jerkens said he is cautiously optimistic that Green Light Go will replicate the figure.

"Those things have to be taken with a grain of salt. The track was much, much faster that day," Jerkens said. "When he ran second in the Fall Highweight, the track was slow. He came running but fell a little short. You just have to get them over there the best you can."

The precocious Green Light Go, a Kentucky homebred, graduated on debut in July 2019 at Saratoga Race Course and followed one month later with a 3 3/4-length score in the Saratoga Special Presented by Miller Lite (G2). He completed his 2-year-old season with a distant second to Tiz the Law   in the Champagne Stakes (G1) in October 2019 at Belmont Park.

Green Light Go raced twice as a sophomore, finishing third in the Claiborne Farm Swale Stakes (G3) and second in the Roar Stakes, both at Gulfstream Park.

"I had him as a 3-year-old early on and he just didn't make as good a transition," Jerkens said. "You see that sometimes, especially horses that come around really fast at 2 like he did. The development gets stunted—almost as if they've gone too far already. He didn't hold his flesh as well down in Florida in his 3-year-old year. He finally got good and strong toward the end of the meet and ran second in the Roar, where I didn't think he could get beat."

Dylan Davis will guide Green Light Go from the inside post.

Wertheimer and Frere homebred Waxman  will look to maintain a perfect in-the-money record while making his stakes debut.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Empire Maker  colt, who boasts a ledger of 2-3-0 from five starts, enters on a two-race winning streak at the Big A. Waxman graduated at fourth asking traveling a one-turn mile on Dec. 2 ahead of a last-out 1 3/4-length allowance score at nine furlongs.

Byron Hughes, Pletcher's Belmont-based assistant, said the dark bay colt has the tactical speed to be effective.

"I think he'll handle the cutback fine. He's a very handy horse and well-minded," Hughes said. "He'll do whatever you ask him to do, so it shouldn't be an issue."

Robert Brittingham, James Wasserson, and Louis A. Bisso Jr.'s Milton the Monster  will make his stakes debut for trainer John Servis.

The 5-year-old Jack Milton   chestnut drew off to an open-length romp over a sloppy and sealed main track last out under Frankie Pennington on Jan. 17 at Parx Racing. The 12 3/4-length score was in a seven-furlong allowance optional claiming sprint.

"I've liked him since day one. He really seems to be maturing and putting it all together," Servis said. "His two mud races are big races and I think eventually he's going to want the turf with his pedigree. It might be why he looks like he's so much better on the slop."

Rounding out the field are William Morey trainee Pirate's Punch , Doubly Blessed , who makes his first appearance since finishing third in the Kelso Handicap (G2) in September at Belmont, New York-bred stakes winner Our Last Buck , and stakes-placed Hanalei's Houdini .

Entries: Stymie S.

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, February 26, 2022, Race 8

• STK
• 1m
• Dirt
• $125,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Green Light Go (KY)	Dylan Davis	118	James A. Jerkens	6/5
2	2Waxman (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Todd A. Pletcher	7/2
3	3Hanalei's Houdini (MD)	Trevor McCarthy	118	Michael J. Maker	5/1
4	4Doubly Blessed (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	Michael J. Maker	6/1
5	5Milton the Monster (KY)	Frankie Pennington	118	John C. Servis	8/1
6	6Pirate's Punch (KY)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	118	William E. Morey	8/1
7	7Our Last Buck (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Michelle Nevin	12/1