Drafted, Ziaerati Headline Supporting Gotham Day Stakes

Dublin Fjord Stables, Racepoint Stables, Kevin Hilbert and Thomas O'Keefe's multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Drafted  brings his trademark closing kick to the $150,000 Tom Fool Handicap (G3), a six-furlong sprint for older horses March 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Tom Fool is part of a stacked Saturday card headlined by the one-mile Gotham Stakes (G3) and the $200,000 Busher Stakes at the same distance for sophomore fillies.

Trained by David Duggan, Drafted enjoyed a solid 2022 season, posting a record of 4-1-1 in nine starts led by New York Racing Association circuit wins in the seven-furlong Toboggan Stakes (G3) and six-furlong Gravesend Stakes at Aqueduct, and the six-furlong Runhappy Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park. He also notched a rallying score in the six-furlong Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park.

The 9-year-old Field Commission  gelding finished a distant third last out in this year's Toboggan won by a runaway Repo Rocks , who notched an impressive score in last week's Stymie Stakes. The Toboggan runner-up, Little Vic , who finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Drafted that day, returns in the Tom Fool.

"The last time we ran into a horse that's turned into a monster," said Duggan of Repo Rocks. "We have to make up a length or so on Little Vic and hopefully we can do that cutting back. We're up for the challenge.

"He's pretty exposed at this age and we have no secrets to hide. We'll have our patented run," continued Duggan. "Hopefully, they go fast enough and we can run them down late."

Drafted, assigned 122 pounds, will exit post 4 under returning rider Luis Rodriguez Castro.

Also in the field are Karen A. Zimmerman's graded stakes winner Runninsonofagun  and Built Wright Stables' Eastern Bay .

Pirate Rick  and Nakatomi  are other contenders.

Ziaerati Leaps into Stakes Company in Busher

Highly impressive first-out maiden winner Ziaerati  will attempt to carry her momentum onto the Road to the Kentucky Oaks when taking on five other sophomore fillies in the Busher.

The Busher is the penultimate local prep for the May 6 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs, offering the top-five finishers points according to a 50-20-15-10-5 scale. 

Trained by Robert Falcone Jr. and owned by John Grossi's Racing Corp., Michael Dubb, Elayne Stables Five, and Adelphi Racing Club, Ziaerati was an 8 1/4-length debut winner going seven furlongs Jan. 15 at  Aqueduct where she defeated next-out winner Promiseher America . The daughter of Into Mischief   was in command throughout and extended her advantage through each point of call to complete the journey in a time of 1:26.72.

"We always had a feeling she could run. She always breezed like she could, but you never know until you send them over there," Falcone said. "For her to take how she was working in the morning and transfer it to the afternoon is a good feeling. Having a horse like her in the barn definitely makes the job a lot easier. It's nice having one like her."

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will be in pursuit of his second Busher conquest when sending out a pair of contenders in Peter Brant's Shidabhuti  and Klaravich Stables' Asset Purchase . 

Juddmonte's Capella  will put an unscathed record on the line following two wins in as many starts for trainer Brad Cox. 

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez will vie for his third Busher victory when sending out La Vita Sofia .

Entries: Tom Fool H. (G3)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, March 04, 2023, Race 8

• Grade III
• 6f
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:27 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Eastern Bay (MD)	William Humphrey	123	Norman L. Cash	4/1
2	2Chateau (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	David Jacobson	10/1
3	3Runninsonofagun (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	122	John T. Toscano, Jr.	5/2
4	4Drafted (FL)	Luis A. Rodriguez Castro	122	David P. Duggan	6/1
5	5Pirate Rick (KY)	Jose Antonio Gomez	118	Norman L. Cash	8/1
6	6Nakatomi (KY)	Dylan Davis	120	Wesley A. Ward	3/1
7	7Little Vic (KY)	Carlos Olivero	121	Juan Carlos Avila	6/1
8	8Wendell Fong (KY)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	117	Natalia Lynch	20/1

Entries: Busher S.

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, March 04, 2023, Race 4

• STK
• 1m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 2:20 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Check Engine Light (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Jorge R. Abreu	10/1
2	2Capella (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	Brad H. Cox	5/2
3	3Ziaerati (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	118	Robert N. Falcone, Jr.	9/5
4	4La Vita Sofia (KY)	Jose Antonio Gomez	118	Rudy R. Rodriguez	20/1
5	5Shidabhuti (KY)	Dylan Davis	118	Chad C. Brown	5/1
6	6Asset Purchase (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	Chad C. Brown	2/1