Gazelle Final Push to KY Oaks for Midnight Disguise

William Wilmot and Joan Taylor's Midnight Disguise will go for her third straight stakes win—and first graded stakes victory—in the $300,000 Gazelle Stakes (G2) April 7.

One of five graded stakes on the card, headlined by the Wood Memorial Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G2) and the Carter Handicap (G1), the Gazelle is New York's final Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifier for 3-year-old fillies, offering points on a 100-40-20-10 basis toward the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 4 at Churchill Downs.

Midnight Disguise has won four times in five starts, all at Aqueduct Racetrack, including a 4 1/4-length score in the Jan. 25 Busanda Stakes, contested at the Gazelle distance of 1 1/8 miles. The Midnight Lute  filly followed that effort with a 1 3/4-length win in the Busher Stakes March 3.

"She's been doing well, and I was very pleased with her coming out of the Busher," trainer Linda Rice said. "She's had a nice workout since then, so we're on target.

"I'm sure the competition will be much tougher in this race, but she's proven at the distance and she's gaining experience with every race," she added. "She's becoming more professional; switching her leads better and things like that, so we're really excited for it."

Midnight Disguise has won at distances ranging from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, with her only loss coming in the Jan. 14 East View Stakes when she finished second to English Soul.

Trevor McCarthy, who has been aboard for her last three starts, will have the return call from post 3.

"Trevor will be staying on for the Gazelle. He's done so well, so why change things?" Rice said.

Sara Street, who challenged Midnight Disguise before settling for second in the Busher in her first stakes effort, will stretch out in distance in her graded stakes debut for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. The Street Sense  filly broke her maiden at second asking Feb. 4 at Aqueduct before her runner-up effort at a mile.

"We think we're ready; she's nice and developing really well. It looks like she wants the distance," McLaughlin said.

Dylan Davis, who piloted Sara Street to victory, will be in the irons from post 5.

Blue Heaven Farm's Virginia Key will make her first New York appearance after winning her debut Feb. 9 and running third against allowance company March 9 at Gulfstream Park. One of two entrants for trainer Todd Pletcher, Virginia Key ships to the Big Apple after winning her only start at longer than a mile when she finished 1 1/2  lengths ahead of Ipanema Beach. The Distorted Humor  filly will have the services of jockey Flavien Prat from post 2.

"We like her. We think she wants two turns," said Pletcher, who won the 2014 Gazelle with My Miss Sophia. "That's why we ran her long the first time, and then we couldn't get a long allowance race to fill. So we ended up running her at a distance that's probably short of her best, but we felt like we needed another race that would hopefully move us forward to a stakes, and I think the mile and an eighth suits her well."

Her stablemate, Mo Shopping, has Aqueduct experience, winning against allowance company by two lengths Feb. 19. The Uncle Mo  filly made her first stakes appearance, a third in the Beyond The Wire Stakes, March 17 at Laurel Park.

"We also felt like she'd improve with more distance," Pletcher said. "That it's back a little quick is my concern, but the mile-and-an-eighth is attractive, and we'll hope that she can come back with an effort like she did at Laurel and maybe even improve a little bit with the extra distance. We'll see what she can do. She's a very honest filly. She shows up every time."

Mo Shopping, owned by Repole Stable, will have Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in the irons from the rail. Velazquez will be looking for his first career Gazelle win.

My Miss Lilly is the field's only entrant with graded stakes experience, finishing third in the Forward Gal Stakes (G3) Feb. 3 after winning her debut at Aqueduct Dec. 23.

The Mark Hennig trainee ran third behind Sara Street and Midnight Disguise in the Busher and will square off against those competitors again, drawing the outside post with Joe Bravo aboard.

Smokinpaddylassie enters the Gazelle undefeated in three starts. She scored a 2 1/4-length win in the Beyond The Wire Stakes after impressive victories to start her career at Parx Racing.

Trained by Edward Coletti, Jr., Smokinpaddylassie will be ridden by John Bisono from post 4.

Entries: Gazelle S. (G2)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, April 07, 2018, Race 6

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 3:38 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Mo Shopping (KY)	John R. Velazquez	114	Todd A. Pletcher	9/2
2	2Virginia Key (KY)	Flavien Prat	114	Todd A. Pletcher	15/1
3	3Midnight Disguise (NY)	Trevor McCarthy	120	Linda Rice	8/5
4	4Smokinpaddylassie (PA)	John Bisono	120	Edward J. Coletti, Jr.	3/1
5	5Sara Street (KY)	Dylan Davis	114	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	7/2
6	6My Miss Lilly (KY)	Joe Bravo	114	Mark A. Hennig	5/1