Lady Milagro Faces Comebacking Monshun in Cicada

Amanda Laderer and Dianette Rivas' homebred Lady Milagro  will take on five other sophomore fillies in the $100,000 Cicada Stakes March 19 going six furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

Trained by Carlos Martin, the daughter of First Dude   boasts a consistent 8-2-1-2 record, arriving off a 7 1/4-length victory in a starter optional claimer Feb. 24 at Aqueduct. The victory came on the heels of a pacesetting third in Aqueduct's Ruthless Stakes, where she held command until deep stretch when passed-up by late-closing Shotgun Hottie  and Champagne Poetry . 

Lady Milagro broke her maiden at third asking in her first start on grass, winning for a $50,000 tag in October at Belmont Park. Following a distant ninth in the next-out Chelsey Flower Stakes at Belmont, she switched back to dirt and has finished in the money in all four starts since. 

"She's a filly that's enjoyed racing and she's getting better and better," Martin said. "The last month or two she's really turned the corner, so I'm excited for Saturday." 

While her turf debut victory was encouraging, Martin said he desired to keep going through the winter with his improving filly.  

"She's a big filly that's just maturing. She seems to be putting it together mentally as well," Martin said. "I thought she'd like the turf because she has a nice stride, but she had always trained super on the dirt, so we had to try her. I didn't want to just put her away and wait for turf season. Every race she's gotten better and better."

Eric Cancel, aboard for both of Lady Milagro's victories, has the call once more from post 4. 

Monshun  arrives off a seven-month hiatus after winning her career debut by 3 1/4 lengths Aug.18 at Saratoga Race Course. Owned by Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Ken Russell, and Taste Of Victory Stables, the daughter of Unified   led through every point of call through her maiden coup, recording an 89 Equibase Speed Figure for the first-out victory.

A year and a half ago, Monshun went through the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale, where she was purchased for $40,000 from Candy Meadows Sales consignment. Oracle Bloodstock signed for her purchase as agent for Handal Racing.

Handal joined forces with Dylan Davis to capture last year's Cicada with Just Read It. The trainer-jockey combo will team up once more as Monshun exits post 5. 

Mike Rutherford homebred Rosebug  will cut back in distance for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. 

By American Pharoah  , Rosebug was a distant fourth in the nine-furlong Busanda in January following a seven-furlong maiden victory over a sloppy and sealed Aqueduct main track Dec. 30. 

CHP Racing's Exxaltress  makes her stakes debut following a 2 3/4-length maiden victory on Jan. 28 for trainer Chad Brown. The Into Mischief   bay sported blinkers for her debut when a distant fifth at seven furlongs but found the winner's circle at second asking without blinkers when cutting back to six furlongs. 

Trainer Mike Maker will ship Paradise Farms and David Staudacher's Lady Scarlet  from Oaklawn Park where she triumphed against winners last out Feb. 26. 

The Union Rags   dark bay filly fended off a late charge from regally bred Marr Time  going six furlongs at the Arkansas oval. Maker claimed Lady Scarlet for $150,000 out of a winning maiden claimer in November at Churchill Downs, just two starts after finishing second to eventual champion 2-year-old filly Echo Zulu  at Saratoga. 

Completing the field is Mike Ryan's Sweet Solare , who arrives off a maiden victory Feb. 25 for trainer Horacio De Paz.

Entries: Cicada S.

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, March 19, 2022, Race 9

• STK
• 6f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:32 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Rosebug (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	William I. Mott	5/2
2	2Sweet Solare (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	118	Horacio De Paz	6/1
3	3Exxaltress (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	Chad C. Brown	9/2
4	4Lady Milagro (KY)	Eric Cancel	118	Carlos F. Martin	5/1
5	5Monshun (KY)	Dylan Davis	118	Raymond Handal	3/1
6	6Lady Scarlet (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	120	Michael J. Maker	3/1