My Miss Lilly Heads Field of 6 in Aqueduct's Top Flight

As a grade 2 winner and a $670,000 daughter of Tapit , it was not surprising that My Miss Lilly ran in the 2018 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).



Unfortunately for owner Courtlandt Farms and trainer Mark Hennig, she did not do much running that day as she labored through a wide trip and wound up 11th.



After finishing an improved third in the Mother Goose Stakes (G2), My Miss Lilly headed to the sidelines and did not return for 7 ½ months until she finished third in a Feb. 15 allowance race at Gulfstream Park.



Now, with some valuable conditioning under belt from her one-mile comeback race, My Miss Lilly will try to notch a second stakes victory at Aqueduct Racetrack when she faces five rivals in the 1 1/8-mile $200,000 Top Flight Invitational for fillies and mares April 13.



"She probably needed the race," Hennig said of the filly's 2019 debut. "We figured that it might be a little short for her, but she'll appreciate more distance."

Purchased at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, My Miss Lilly has a fondness for Aqueduct, collecting both of her career wins at the Ozone Park, N.Y., racetrack, including a half-length score in last year's Gazelle Stakes (G2) at the Top Flight distance.

"She likes Aqueduct and is familiar with it," Hennig said. "She's run well there at the distance."

Midnight Disguise and My Miss Lilly faced off twice last year and will shake off the cobwebs and resume their rivalry Saturday. Each won a stakes in those two meetings. 

In March 2018, the Linda Rice-trained Midnight Disguise surged to a 1 ¾-length victory in the one-mile Busher Stakes with My Miss Lilly third. Afterwards, My Miss Lilly won the Gazelle while Midnight Disguise was fourth as the 8-5 favorite.  

Midnight Disguise's 3-year-old season also included a lengthy layoff as she was diagnosed with a soft tissue injury after her May 28 victory over New York-breds in the Bouwerie Stakes. She returned Feb. 10 with a distant second in the Biogio's Rose Stakes against state-breds and was most recently fourth in the Heavenly Prize Invitational Stakes March 10.

A homebred daughter of Midnight Lute  owned by Dr. William B. Wilmot, Devin Wilmot, and Dr. Joan Taylor, Midnight Disguise was voted champion New York State-bred 3-year-old filly of 2018. 

Rudy Rodriguez and Michael Imperio's Frostie Anne capitalized on Midnight Disguise's rust while posting a front-running six-length win in the one-mile Biogio's Rose, but will have to handle two turns Saturday.

The field also includes Another Broad, fourth in the Royal Delta Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream; Jump Ruler, claimed in her last start for $62,500 by trainer Rob Atras and his 42% winning percentage in 2019; and Forever Liesl, third in the Heavenly Prize Invitational.

Wonder Stone tackles boys in Bridgetown

Trainer Wesley Ward has a knack for sending out fillies to beat males in sprints and he may be up to his old tricks in the $100,000 Bridgetown, a six-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds on Saturday's card.

Ward will send out Don Alberto Stable's Wonder Stone, a daughter of Super Saver  who beat the guys last year in her career debut at the Keeneland spring meet. She finished fifth against fillies in the Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park June 7, then did not race against until March 15 when she defeated fillies in an optional claimer at Turfway Park on a synthetic surface.

"She's a big, beautiful filly," Ward said. "When we first ran her at Keeneland, she really ran a great race. She got caught up in a speed duel in the Astoria and then exited that race with some minor issues that just required some time off to get better. She ran a real big Ragozin sheet number (in her last race) and is doing well, so we like her chances against the boys."

Helping Wonder Stone's chances is a weak group of four expected rivals (Majid is a main track only entrant) that includes a maiden. Isabelle de Tomaso's Regally Irish is the only starter with a grass victory in a race for winners.

Entries: Top Flight Invitational S.

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, April 13, 2019, Race 8

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:21 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Midnight Disguise (NY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Linda Rice	6/1
2	2Another Broad (MD)	Manuel Franco	118	Todd A. Pletcher	8/1
3	3Jump Ruler (KY)	Rajiv Maragh	118	Rob Atras	9/2
4	4Frostie Anne (NY)	Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr.	118	Rudy R. Rodriguez	5/2
5	5My Miss Lilly (KY)	Joe Bravo	120	Mark A. Hennig	7/2
6	6Forever Liesl (FL)	Eric Cancel	120	Michelle Nevin	2/1

Entries: Bridgetown S.

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, April 13, 2019, Race 3

• STK
• 6f
• Outer turf
• $100,000
• 3 yo
• 2:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Regally Irish (NJ)	Rajiv Maragh	118	H. Graham Motion	8/5
2	2Wonder Stone (KY)	Manuel Franco	113	Wesley A. Ward	7/2
3	3Skole (KY)	Daniel Centeno	118	Arnaud Delacour	5/2
4	4Mount Travers (KY)	Junior Alvarado	118	Linda Rice	3/1
5	5Majid (KY)	Rider TBA	118	Rudy R. Rodriguez	4/1
6	6Skychief (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Michael J. Maker	6/1