Kathleen O. Returns in Comely

Winngate Stables' dual graded stakes winner and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) alumna Kathleen O.  resumes serious business against a field of seven other sophomore fillies in the Nov. 25 $175,000 Comely Stakes (G3) going nine furlongs at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Hall of Famer and three-time Comely winner Shug McGaughey, Kathleen O. has not raced since finishing fifth in the Kentucky Oaks, arriving at the prestigious event unbeaten in four starts.

The daughter of third crop sire Upstart   bagged triumphs in the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) and Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) at Gulfstream Park one month before facing a deep Oaks field at Churchill Downs. Following a bad break, Kathleen O. was 13 lengths back in 12th through the first point of call and made up enough ground to finish fifth beaten four lengths by Secret Oath  over the wet fast main track.

Kathleen O. has progressed well since her run in the Kentucky Oaks according to McGaughey, who breezed the filly a half-mile in :48.07 over the Belmont Park training track Sunday.

"Her works have all been very good. She worked a half this morning very well, :48 and change, 1:01 and change to get her ready," McGaughey said. "I'm looking forward to getting started. I gave her some time and brought her back and she's done everything right so far."

Kathleen O. returns to the Big A for the first time since a come-from-behind debut victory last November over a muddy and sealed main track, where she went from sixth-to-first in the last two points of call. She followed this effort with a New Year's Day triumph in the one-mile Cash Run at Gulfstream Park.

McGaughey said he would "definitely" keep going through the winter with Kathleen O., and mentioned the Feb. 18 Royal Delta Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park as a possible target into her 4-year-old season.

"She'll come down to Payson Park and I'll find a spot at Gulfstream for her sometime after the first of the year and take it from there," McGaughey said. "I'm thinking about maybe the Royal Delta that's there at Gulfstream and there's some other spots out of town that could fit, or something back in New York."

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has piloted Kathleen O. in all five of her lifetime starts, and retains the mount from post 4.

WinStar Farm and CHC's Falconet  will attempt to keep a highly consistent record afloat while seeking her first graded stakes triumph for trainer Todd Pletcher. The Uncle Mo   filly enters the Comely off a pair of runner-up efforts at stakes level, earning black type in the Iowa Oaks (G3) July 9 at Prairie Meadows and the Seneca Overnight Stakes Sept. 24 at Churchill.

"She was very game last time. It was a tough beat. I don't think she's a must-have-the-lead type, but she has natural speed, so we'll take advantage of that," Pletcher said. "She's doing excellent. I think she'll handle (nine furlongs) well and she's been training forwardly. We've been pointing to this race for a little while."

LC Racing, Cash is King, and Gary Barber's heavily seasoned Morning Matcha  enters the Comely off her lone layoff in 16 lifetime starts for trainer Butch Reid, Jr. The Pennsylvania-bred, New York-sired Central Banker   filly was most recently second at 48-1 odds behind Society  in the Sept. 24 Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing.

Reid, Jr. will also saddle LC Racing and Cash is King's Pistol Liz Ablazen , a last-out 9 1/2-length winner of her two-turn debut at Parx Oct. 25.

Entries: Long Island S. (G3T)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Friday, November 25, 2022, Race 6

• Grade IIIT
• 1 3/8m
• Turf
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 2:44 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Big Time Lady (NY)	Jose Antonio Gomez	121	Chris J. Englehart	-
2	Temple City Terror (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	125	Brendan P. Walsh	-
3	Tic Tic Tic Boom (KY)	Andrew Wolfsont	121	Alan Bedard	-
4	Rocky Sky (IRE)	Manuel Franco	125	Chad C. Brown	-
5	Kalifornia Queen (GER)	Jose Lezcano	121	Chad C. Brown	-
6	Capital Structure (GB)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	121	Chad C. Brown	-