Carrumba Aims for First Stakes in Top Flight

Making her first start of the season since closing 2015 with a narrow loss to Forever Unbridled in the Comely Stakes (gr. III), Phipps Stable homebred Carrumba will try to nail down her first stakes win April 3 in the $200,000 Top Flight Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

A daughter of Bernardini  , Carrumba will be making her 4-year-old debut in the 1 1/8-mile Top Flight over the Aqueduct main track. Carrumba will be making her first start since dueling through the stretch with Forever Unbridled in the Nov. 28 Comely, also on the Aqueduct main, only to finish a head behind that rival.

Forever Unbridled came back with a clear victory in the Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (gr. III) Jan. 30 at Sam Houston Race Park.

Carrumba's early speed could be tested Sunday by Mei Ling, who enters off a front-running win in the Heavenly Prize Invitational Stakes March 5 on the Aqueduct inner track.

Sunday's expected field of seven fillies and mares features only one previous graded stakes winner, Bobby Flay's America, who captured last year's Turnback the Alaram Handicap (gr. III) Oct. 30 at Belmont Park. The 5-year-old A.P. Indy mare will be making her first start of the year.