Tuskegee Airmen Takes Aim at Remsen

After two successful runs in the Mid-Atlantic, Tuskegee Airmen  takes aim on Aqueduct Racetrack for the $250,000 Remsen Stakes (G2) Dec. 3.

Tuskegee Airmen, a son of Street Sense   named after the group of primarily African American military pilots and airmen who fought in World War II, tests graded company for the first time in the Remsen, a 1 1/8-mile race for 2-year-olds that is one of four stakes on a Saturday card at Aqueduct highlighted by the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1). The Remsen is a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier, offering qualifying points on a 10-4-3-2-1 basis to its top five finishers.

Churchill Downs utilizes qualifying points to publicize potential Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) participants and uses points as a preference system for the 1 1/4-mile classic if it overfills beyond the 20-horse limit. The Kentucky Derby is May 6.

Tuskegee Airmen's trainer, John Servis, is a Kentucky Derby winner, having captured the 2004 Run for the Roses with Someday Farm's Smarty Jones .

Now Servis is back on the Derby trail with another promising colt in Cash is King and LC Racing's Tuskegee Airmen, who, after a debut win at Parx Racing Sept. 24, added the Oct. 15 Rocky Run Stakes at Delaware Park. He won both races from off the pace, drawing away by 5 1/2 lengths first out when racing seven furlongs and then by 3 1/4 lengths in defeating fellow Remsen competitor Midnight Trouble  in the one-mile Rocky Run.

Video: Rocky Run S. (BT)

"Mentally, the light hasn't gone on yet, but he has flashed some talent," said Servis. "We are excited about him. His last race at the three-eighths pole, I didn't think he was going to beat a horse. He dropped back under a drive, and it looked like he was finished, and all of a sudden, he went back to running again. We're letting him bring himself along at his pace. He's doing it all on raw talent, and the sky is the limit."

Tuskegee Airmen is the first foal out of the Medaglia d'Oro   mare Lucky Cover , a half sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Team Colors  and stakes winner Team of Teams . His second dam, Teammate , was a dual grade 2 winner and is a half sister to graded stakes winner and top sire War Front  . Tuskegee Airmen was purchased for $290,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale from the Burleson Farms consignment.

"He'll run all day. He's a big, strong horse," said Servis. "Ironically enough, I was actually the underbidder on him for another client, and then ended up getting him in my barn, and I was really happy about that." 

Luis Saez rides from post 2. 

There are no existing graded stakes winners in the Remsen, and the only graded-placed horse in the field is the James Chapman-trained Prove Right , who ran third in the Nashua Stakes (G3), a one-mile race at Aqueduct that serves as a prep for the Remsen.

The Remsen did draw the 1-2 finishers from the Sleepy Hollow Stakes in Arctic Arrogance  and Quick to Accuse . The Sleepy Hollow was a race for New York-breds Oct. 30 during the Belmont at the Big A meet.

Mary Broman and Chester Broman Sr.'s Arctic Arrogance is a speedy gray son of Frosted   with two wins and a second in three starts for trainer Linda Rice, while Rupp Racing's Quick to Accuse is a half brother to New York-bred millionaire Mr. Buff . An Accelerate   colt, Quick to Accuse has a 1-1-0 record in three starts for trainer Horacio De Paz.

Entries: Remsen S. (G2)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, December 03, 2022, Race 7

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 2 yo
• 2:44 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Il Miracolo (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Antonio Sano	12/1
2	2Tuskegee Airmen (KY)	Luis Saez	120	John C. Servis	8/5
3	3Prove Right (KY)	Jose Antonio Gomez	118	James K. Chapman	15/1
4	4Arctic Arrogance (NY)	Jose Lezcano	120	Linda Rice	2/1
5	5Midnight Trouble (KY)	Paco Lopez	120	Peter R. Walder	8/1
6	6Quick to Accuse (NY)	Manuel Franco	118	Horacio De Paz	6/1
7	7Dubyuhnell (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Danny Gargan	5/1