Micromanage Rallies to Win Queens County

Repole Stable's Micromanage returned to the dirt Dec. 13 and overpowered 6-5 favorite Vyjack in the $100,000 Queens County Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, rallying five wide into the stretch before securing the victory by 1 1/4 lengths .

The 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro   colt recovered from a 10th in the Nov. 15 Red Smith Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the Aqueduct lawn to collect his third stakes score of the season. He won the Birdstone Stakes going 1 3/4 miles at Saratoga Race Course in August, and took the 1 3/16-mile Skip Away Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park for trainer Todd Pletcher back in March. 

Misconnect, the only 3-year-old in the field and also owned by Mike Repole, finished third, another 1 1/4 lengths behind Vyjack as part of a coupled entry.

"We really didn't want to run the two horses together, we kind of wanted to split them up. They were both training really, really well, and if they're both going to stay here, this is the spot," Repole said. "I thought Misconnect ran really, really well and (Micromanage) getting off the turf and back to the dirt, at a mile-and-an-eighth, is really, really good. Manny Franco rode him very well for the first time he rode him."

Franco had Micromanage seventh in the group of nine after a bit of a slow break as 43-1 shot Plainview headed out for the lead with Percussion in pursuit. Plainview went a quarter in :23.21 and a half in :47.47 with a length advantage, and had that lead cut into half a length after three-quarters in 1:12.48.

Pushed five paths wide by Stormin Monarcho around the three-eighths pole as he was making ground from sixth, Micromanage continued into upper stretch on the outside and challenged straightening for home.

"The trip was perfect," Franco said. "(Assistant trainer) Byron (Hughes) told me to keep the horse busy because he's a little lazy, and to keep the horse on the outside because he doesn't like to be on the inside, and he did very good today."

Vyjack split foes at the eighth pole and was finishing willingly, but Micromanage took control through a 1:38.85 mile and edged away under a drive to prevail. Final time was 1:51.76 on the fast inner track.

"I thought Manuel rode Micromanage very well; he stayed busy on him the whole time and kept him outside," said Hughes, Pletcher's assistant. "He's been training great and has been a solid horse for us, especially getting back on the dirt. He seems to like this inner track, though, so we'll see what happens."

"They'll stay in New York," Repole said of his two runners. "There's another stakes on January 19 (the $100,000 Jazil). They'll get a little bit of a break over the holidays and bring them back in January."

Micromanage and Misconnect returned $9.70, $3.70, and $4.90 while Vyjack brought $3.20 and $2.90. Stormin Monarcho, Turco Bravo, Elnaawi, Don Dulce, Percussion, and Plainview completed the order of finish. Wealth to Me was scratched by the stewards.

Bred in Kentucky by Fiona Craig and Dermot Cantillon from the Flying Paster mare Catnip, Micromanage was a $170,000 purchase by J.J. Crupi, agent for Repole Stable, at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale when consigned by Woods Edge Farm. The Queens County victory improved his record to 6-4-5 from 23 starts and increased his lifetime earnings of $701,881.