Walk Close Looks Formidable in Long Island Handicap

Walk Close comes into the race off a win in the Modesty Handicap at Arlington Park. (Photo by Four Footed Fotos)
The Grade 3, $200,000 Long Island Handicap features a total of six horses from the top barns of Chad Brown and Christophe Clement among 11 fillies and mares running the marathon distance of one and one-half miles on turf. Two of those, Walk Close and Interrupted, enter the race off stakes wins. Walk Close boasts a win in the higher class Grade 3 Modesty Handicap while Interrupted won the non-graded Lady Baltimore Stakes. Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational runner-up Danza Cavallo fits the race on class and also because she missed by a neck in last year's edition of the Long Island. Goldy Espony won the Grade 3 Waya Stakes at the distance of the Long Island in August but finished last of nine in her most recent effort. Rosalind won the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay Stakes in May and hasn't run badly in her only two turf starts since then so she warrants a long look. Mutatis Mutandis was three lengths behind Danza Cavallo when third in the Flower Bowl, but that was her U.S. debut and so improvement is possible. Crisolles was Group 2 stakes placed in her native France last year and won her most recent start in a non-stakes race but could be ready for this level.
Walk Close earned a career best, and more importantly, near field high last-race Equibase Speed Figure of 112 winning the Modesty Handicap when last seen in July. That win came off a two month layoff and although she is returning from a four month layoff, that is not a concern as she has been working consistently for her return. With four wins in 10 career starts, all on turf, and having run well prior to the Modesty when third and beaten a nose for second in the Keertana Stakes, Walk Close has room to take another step forward and win this year's Long Island Handicap.
Rosalind also enters the race off a career best effort when leading from the start and through to the last 16th of a mile before being passed by a couple of nice horses in Curvy and Talmada in the E.P. Taylor Stakes. That effort earned her a 113 Figure that would make her very competitive in the Long Island if repeated. Rosalind won the Sheepshead Bay Stakes in May so is proven at the level and with the ability to go to the lead and play "come catch me" or to close from off the pace this filly deserves a long look at the outcome in this race.
ROSALIND WINNING THE SHEEPSHEAD BAY

Photo by NYRA/Coglinese Photos
Crisolles earned her first U.S. win in her third stateside start last month at 11 furlongs, the furthest she's run to date. Since coming to the U.S. she has improved her figures, from 101 to 104, then to 105 in her most recent race. She led from start to finish in that race last month but has also come from off the pace to run well so is not wed to a particular running style. Last fall, Crisolles finished second in the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette, that level equivalent to a Grade 1 race in the U.S. On a pattern for further improvement off her last race, Crisolles is yet another filly to be taken very seriously as a contender in this race.
Interrupted and Danza Cavallo are two more that might be in the thick of the action on the wire. Interrupted earned a career best 107 figure taking the Lady Baltimore Stakes when last seen in September for her second win in a row. Trained by Graham Motion, who is an expert at placing his horses where they can run well, she gets the services of jockey Matthew Rispoli, who is a perfect four-for-four aboard her to date. Danza Cavallo earned a 115 figure when second to Stephanie's Kitten in the Flower Bowl. As Stephanie's Kitten won the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf last weekend in her subsequent start and as the jockey that rode Stephanie's Kitten, Irad Ortiz, Jr., rides Danza Cavallo, she could have an impact here as well.
The rest of the field, with their best representative Equibase Speed Figures, is Courtesan (106), Evidently (102), Goldy Espony (FR) (93), Gotachancetodance (106), Mei Ling (102 entered for the main track only) and Mutatis Mutandis (IRE) (111).
My Selections:
Walk Close
Rosalind
Crisolles
$200,000 Long Island Handicap
Nov. 7, Aqueduct,Race 8,3:50 p.m. ET
1 ½ miles, turf, 3-year-olds and older

PP

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

Owner

1

Goldy Espony

Kendrick Carmouche

 Chad Brown

 Swift Thoroughbreds and Bradley Thoroughbreds

2

Rosalind

Junior Alvarado

 Chad Brown

Bethlehem Stable Michael Dubb and Highclere America

3

Danza Cavallo

Jose Ortiz

 Chad Brown

Michael Dubb Sheep Pond Partners Bethlehem Stables and The Elkstone Group LLC

4

Evidently

Eric Cancel

Roy Lerman

Roy Lerman

5

Gotachancetodance

 Luis Saez

 Todd Pletcher

Joan Pletcher and Terry Scatuorchio

6

Mei Ling

 John Velazquez

 Todd Pletcher

Barry Schwartz

7

Courtesan

Silvestre de Sousa

 Christophe Clement

Ramona S. Bass

8

Mutatis Mutandis

John Velazquez

 Ed Walker

Chasemore Farm

9

Crisolles

Joel Rosario

Christophe Clement

China Horse Club

10

Walk Close

Manuel Franco

 Christophe Clement

Highland Yard

11

Interrupted

 Matthew Rispoli

 Graham Motion

Pin Oak Stable