Battle Bling Brings Luster to Ladies Stakes
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Battle Bling wins the 2022 Ladies Stakes at Aqueduct
Michael Dubb and Gandharvi's graded stakes winner Battle Bling will look to defend her title in Sunday's $150,000 Ladies Stakes, a nine-furlong test for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Rob Atras, the soon-to-be 5-year-old by Vancouver will aim to start the New Year in style after her three-race win streak came to a close last out with a distant eighth in the one-mile Go for Wand Stakes (G3) contested Dec. 3 over a sloppy and sealed Big A main track.
"I'm hoping we'll see the real her this time. Last time, she wasn't quite the same horse in the paddock," Atras said. "She's been so rock solid for us that the last race was sort of surprising. There was a lot of speed in there and she kind of got out of the race. She really likes to be forwardly placed. There was sprint speed in there last time, and she's really not that kind of horse, so I'm hoping this will be more her game."
Battle Bling enjoyed a tremendous 4-year-old season, posting a record of 10-4-4-0 for purse earnings of $470,450 after being claimed for $62,500 in December 2021. She captured last year's Ladies by a neck in her first start for her current connections, staving off a game Miss Leslie at the wire.
Battle Bling scored consecutive wins in a 1 1/16-mile handicap in September at Colonial Downs, the Twixt Stakes in October at Laurel Park and the Turnback the Alarm Handicap (G3) in November at Aqueduct.
Atras credited returning rider Kendrick Carmouche for taking command of a compact field in the Turnback the Alarm.
"Kendrick won that race out of the gate. He caught the other horses flat-footed and just sent," Atras said. "Last time just wasn't her day, but she's trained good since and I'm hoping we'll get one of her better efforts."
Bred in Kentucky by Royal Oak Farm and Edwyn Kiely, the $110,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase will exit post 2.
China Horse Club and WinStar Farm's Falconet (post 5, Jose Lezcano) was unraced as a 2-year-old, but made up for lost time with a solid 6-2-3-0 sophomore campaign, topped by a runner-up effort in the Iowa Oaks (G3) in July at Prairie Meadows.
Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the Uncle Mo bay graduated at second asking in April at Keeneland and followed with an allowance score in June at Churchill Downs.
Falconet was second in the Seneca Overnight Stakes in September at Churchill, finishing a neck back of Sixtythreecaliber , who exited that effort to win the Comely Stakes (G3) Nov. 25 with Falconet fourth after a stumbled start from a two-month layoff.
The $250,000 Keeneland September Sale purchase is out of the grade 1-winning Birdatthewire .
Louis Lazzinnaro's graded stakes-placed Exotic West (post 4, Dylan Davis) will look to return to winning form for trainer Gary Sciacca.
The Hard Spun bay has a record of three wins from six starts on the Big A main track, including a win over Battle Bling in the Top Flight Invitational Stakes in April. Her unplaced efforts include losing her rider at the break of both the Turnback the Alarm two starts back and last year's Ladies. Last out, she was bumped at the gate and finished a distant sixth in the Go for Wand.
Rounding out the field are graded stakes-placed Tonal Vision (post 3, Jeremy Laprida), and stakes winner Sweet Willemina (post 1, Manny Franco).
The Ladies is slated as Race 3 on Sunday's nine-race card. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Sunday, January 01, 2023, Race 3Entries: Ladies S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
Sweet Willemina (KY)
Manuel Franco
118
Scott A. Lake
-
2
Battle Bling (KY)
Kendrick Carmouche
124
Rob Atras
-
3
Tonal Vision (KY)
Jeremy Laprida
120
Juan Carlos Guerrero
-
4
Exotic West (KY)
Dylan Davis
122
Gary Sciacca
-
5
Falconet (KY)
Jose Lezcano
118
Todd A. Pletcher
-
