Venti Valentine, Les Bon Temps Headline NYSSS Stakes

NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds' multiple graded stakes-placed Venti Valentine  will seek her third career stakes score in the $100,000 Bay Ridge Stakes, a one-turn mile for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Dec. 17 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Jorge Abreu, Venti Valentine was last seen finishing sixth against older state-bred fillies and mares in the 6 1/2-furlong Iroquois Stakes Oct. 30 at Belmont at the Big A. With Irad Ortiz Jr. up, the 3-year-old Firing Line   chestnut saved ground in last-of-8 but failed to fire her best shot when 4 3/4 lengths back of the victorious November Rein .

"We backed her up to 6 1/2 (furlongs) in the Iroquois and the race really didn't set up for her that day," said Dan Zanatta, co-managing partner of NY Final Furlong Racing Stable. "Irad came back and said he never really had any running room for her, but she did gallop out well which is more than we could say for her previous races."

Venti Valentine will look to regain the successful form that saw her win three of her first five career starts, including a second-out score in October 2021 in the Maid of the Mist Stakes against fellow state-breds at Belmont Park and a seven-length romp in the Busher Invitational Stakes against open company in March at the Big A.

Venti Valentine's Busher score is surrounded by runner-up efforts traveling nine furlongs at Aqueduct in the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) last December when bested a neck by eventual multiple grade 1 winner Nest ; and in April when a pacesetting second to Nostalgic  in the Gazelle Stakes (G3).

Zanatta said the team had considered entering Venti Valentine in the one-mile Dec. 3 Go for Wand Stakes (G3), but decided a stretch out in distance against fellow state-breds was preferable.

"I think the one-mile configuration at Aqueduct will hit her square in the eyes. That's what she really wants to do," Zanatta said.

Vacation Dance Tries the Dirt in NYSSS Great White Way

Sleeping Giant Stables, America's Pastime Stables, and KimDon Racing's graded stakes-placed, stakes-winning Vacation Dance  will vie for his second consecutive stakes score for trainer John Kimmel in Saturday's $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired juveniles, at Aqueduct.

Vacation Dance, a grey son of The Lieutenant , arrives from a tidy 1 1/4-length victory against open company in the six-furlong Atlantic Beach Stakes over the Big A turf Nov. 5 in wire-to-wire fashion.

The Atlantic Beach came one start after Vacation Dance earned a graded placing in his first start against winners when a game third in the Futurity Stakes (G3T), coming up a neck shy in a blanket finish behind the victorious Nagirroc , who exited that effort to finish a close third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T).

"He's doing very well," said Kimmel. "I've been very pleased with his progression. We had geared him towards the grass earlier in the summer and into the fall. He did very well winning a stakes and breaking his maiden first time out."

Vacation Dance has made each of his three lifetime outings over the lawn and will try dirt for the first time in the Great White Way. Kimmel said Vacation Dance, who stands at nearly 17 hands tall, has matured enough to give dirt a try as he reaches the end of his juvenile campaign.

"Sometimes they (bigger horses) find their efficiency is much better on the grass—they have a tendency to not have developed fully, especially in their hind end," said Kimmel. "Now that he's almost a 3-year-old, I think he's starting to get a stronger hind end on him and he's able to handle the dirt better than he did."

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Peter Searles, and Patty Searles' Ramblin' Wreck  is in search of his first stakes victory after finishing a close fourth last out in the Central Park Stakes Nov. 26 at the Big A. 

Like Vacation Dance, Ramblin' Wreck will make the switch to dirt after showing ability on the turf, though the latter has made one start over the main track when a distant sixth on debut in a state-bred sprint in August at Saratoga. The Danny Gargan trainee's lone victory from four starts was a second-out score traveling 1 1/16 miles over the Big A turf in September.

Dean Reeves, owner of Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, said he is looking forward to Saturday and beyond with Ramblin' Wreck.

"We were really happy with how he closed in his last race," said Reeves. "It looked like he showed a really nice kick at the end. I think he's going to have a really big year next year against New York-breds. We'll see how he does on the dirt. It'll be a bit of a challenge but I'm hoping his talent can overcome some of that and we can get a big win."

Stakes winner Jackson Heights  will look to return to winning ways for trainer Orlando Noda after a last-out fifth-place finish in the state-bred Sleepy Hollow Stakes Oct. 30 at Belmont at the Big A. Owned by Zilla Racing Stables, Black Jack Racing, and Acqua Nova Stable, Jackson Heights broke his maiden in style two starts back with an off-the-pace victory in the Bertram F. Bongard against state-breds Sept. 29. He rallied from last-of-5 to earn the two-length victory over Arctic Arrogance , who won the aforementioned Sleepy Hollow next out.

New York-Sired Juvenile Fillies Chase Big Bucks in $500K NYSSS Fifth Avenue

A field of 11 will assemble with aspirations to give their bankroll a massive boost in Saturday's $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue Stakes for eligible New York-sired 2-year-old fillies going seven furlongs at Aqueduct.

Leading the charge is Deuce Greathouse, Cindy Hutson, and Brett Setzer's Les Bon Temps , who will attempt to let the good times roll following a last out 13-1 upset in the Oct. 30 Maid of the Mist at Belmont at the Big A. The Mike Maker-trained daughter of Laoban  made her debut for her current conditioner when third in the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes in September, finishing 2 1/2 lengths in arrears of Gambling Girl .

For previous trainer Norm Casse, Les Bon Temps was a winner on debut going five furlongs in May over a sloppy and sealed Churchill Downs main track before earning black type when third in her stakes debut in the July 4 Debutante Stakes at Churchill.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will send up Wynwood Thoroughbreds and Make A Run Stable's homebred Forces Sweetheart , who ships to the Big A by way of South Florida off a sharp debut triumph at Gulfstream Park. The daughter of The Lieutenant was a six-length winner of her Nov. 5 debut, where she was entered for a $50,000 tag.

Joseph expressed interest in the NYSSS Fifth Avenue before she made her first start.

"She had trained pretty decently going into that race and obviously she had won well," Joseph said. "It's going to be a big step up in class for her, but she's eligible for this race and we were hoping she would run well in her first race so we could take a chance in here. We're giving it a go."