Sunday Girl improves to 2-for-2 with victory in Sunday’s Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes at Aqueduct. NYRA Photo.

Sunday Girl ran to her odds and added another stakes winner to three-time leading New York sire Central Banker’s resume with a victory in Sunday’s $200,000 Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct.

The 3-year-old filly, fresh from an eye-catching debut victory February 10 at Aqueduct, rolled to a 3-length victory in the 6 1/2-furlong Park Avenue under Katie Davis. Owned by Mitre Box Stable, Clear Stars Stable and Eighth Note Stable and trained by David Duggan, Sunday Girl won in 1:16.91 as the 6-5 favorite in the field of eight.

“I gave her [Davis] no instructions,” Duggan said. “I knew she [Sunday Girl] was going to be a little bit sharper again and she had a clear trip on the outside. She had to pass the test today and she did that. The question mark going in was seasoning and she passed that test.”

Longshot Bustin Time took the early initiative in the Park Avenue, setting the pace through the opening quarter-mile in :22.36 with Davis and Sunday Girl content to track from her outside down the backstretch.

“Honestly the first time she ran, she broke great, but she was more, ‘What’s going on?’ kind of thing,” Davis said. “She broke out of the gate and was like ‘what do you want me to do,’ but she was nicely in my hands. Today, the post really helped us nicely and I got to take advantage of the outside post and being where I wanted to be and she was game.

Sunday Girl pulled Davis to the lead around the bend and approaching the half in :45.18. In control coming off the turn, Sunday Girl spurted away in the stretch as My Shea D Lady, Fast and Frisky and Sohana tried to cut into her advantage. Sunday Girl switched leads late and held off her rivals in hand, cruising under the wire as her sire’s 13th blacktype winner.

“I knew warming up,” Davis said about when she knew Sunday Girl was ready. “The pony guy goes, ‘Oh my god’ and I go, ‘Oh, I know, if you want to stop galloping, I’m good, we can keep her calm and relaxed.’ A filly like that the best thing you can do is keep their heart rate down and let them know it’s OK.”

My Shea D Lady, a stakes winner in her final start of 2023, finished second in her 3-year-old debut and led a 2-3-4-5 finish for her sire Solomini with Sohana third, Fast and Frisky fourth and Handle On You fifth.

Sunday Girl collected $110,000 for her connections in the Park Avenue to boost her earnings to $148,500. Duggan said Sunday Girl could show up next in the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies on the Sunday, June 9 card of the Belmont Stakes Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

“You roll on to the next challenge that they give us which will probably be the Bouwerie at Saratoga,” he said. “If she gets seven-eighths – there will be a different type of horse coming in there, so with a little more time and maturity you’d like to think that you’re going to improve again. I don’t think she needs to improve a whole lot but that was quite a nice performance today.

“The punches are going to get tougher now. I’m very realistic. You’re in a good position going into the next stake. If she holds form or improves a little bit, she’ll be right there.”

Sunday Girl brought the highest price for a New York-bred in the open portion of the 2022 OBS October yearling sale on a bid of $43,000 from Kathryn Martin. Mitre Box Stables purchased her for $100,000 about seven months later at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale, out of the de Meric Sales consignment.

Bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds LLC and Spruce Lane Farm and foaled at McMahon of Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, the chestnut filly is out of the winning Harlan’s Holiday mare Lady Daphne.

Sunday Girl is a half-sister to Lady Jasmine, a New York-bred daughter of Cairo Prince also bred by McMahon and Spruce Lane who won her debut in 2022 at Saratoga Race Course. She’s earned $79,068 in 11 starts. Lady Daphe is also the dam of the winning New York-bred Laoban filly Proper Grammar, who pushed her bankroll to $53,134 this month.

Lady Daphne, purchased by McMahon of Saratoga for $17,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, is also the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Solomini and a yearling full brother to the Park Avenue winner.

Central Banker, a three-time defending leading sire in New York, stands for $7,500 at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs. Solomini also stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds.

Antonio of Venice rolls to another stakes victory in Sunday’s Times Square division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct. NYRA Photo.

Antonio of Venice followed up on convincing stakes victory last month with another professional performance winning Sunday’s $200,000 Times Square division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes at Aqueduct.

The 3-year-old son of the late former leading New York-based freshman sire Laoban collected his third stakes victory in the Times Square, adding the 6 1/2-furlong stakes to his victory in the March 17 Damon Runyon and last year’s $500,000 Great White Way division of the NYSS.

Under regular pilot Manny Franco as the 6-5 favorite in the field of seven, Antonio of Venice won by 2 1/4 lengths over 2-1 second choice Doc Sullivan with 34-1 first-time starter Grand Opening third. Antonio of Venice won in 1:15.32 over the fast track.

“He looks like he’s improving every time,” said winning trainer Rudy Rodriguez, who co-owns the colt with Michael Imperio, Robert Cotrone and Hibiscus Stables. “The other day when I worked him in the morning, I looked at my watch and I said, ‘wow.’ This horse is just in a different league right now, so we’re just happy he keeps improving and hopefully keeps doing that.”

Franco, aboard for Antonio of Venice’s last four starts which include those three stakes victories, also noticed the improvement.

“I want to give all the credit to the horse, the team, and Rudy Rodriguez,” Franco said. “The horse is turning good at the right time. He’s improving every race he runs and you could see today that he just ran really hard. I’m just happy to be on him and part of the win.”

Bred by Cypress Creek Equine LLC, Antonio of Venice sold for $35,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale and for the same price at the 2023 OBS March sale. Antonio of Venice is the third foal out of Stella Performance, who also produced winning full siblings to the multiple stakes winner winner in New York-breds Modern Midas ($79,860 in earnings) and I’m Wide Awake ($158,603).

Stella Performance is also the dam of yearling New York-bred colt by McKinzie and filly by Keepmeinmind born February 18 in New York, and both bred by Cypress Creek Equine LLC.

A maiden winner at Saratoga Race Course in his third start, Antonio of Venice finished off the board in his first two stakes tries in Skidmore at Saratoga and Aspirant at Finger Lakes before a victory in the $500,000 Great White Way in mid-December. He started the season with a runner-up effort in the Rego Park in late January at Aqueduct before a 9 1/4-length victory in the Damon Runyon March 17.

The victory in the Times Square boosted Antonio of Venice’s earnings to $535,744.

Rodriguez kept the door open for several possible spots for Antonio of Venice.

“We’re going to enjoy the New York-bred, Stallion Series, maybe we take him to Finger Lakes,” he said. “Maybe we’ll take him to Saratoga, to Finger Lakes, and then try Saratoga again. We’ll see.”

Bustin Bay, less than a week removed from runner-up in Biogio’s Rose Stakes, wins the Sis City starter on NY Claiming Championship card at Aqueduct. NYRA Photo.

Winning Move Stable’s Bustin Bay, six days removed from a runner-up stakes effort that came just 10 days after an open-company allowance-optional victory, led the New York-bred contingent during Saturday’s New York Claiming Championship at Aqueduct.

Bustin Bay, a 6-year-old daughter of Bustin Stones, rolled to a front-running 2 3/4-length victory in the $75,000 Sis City starter for fillies and mares that started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2023-24. Kendrick Carmouche rode the winner for trainer Linda Rice.

Bred by Robert Rosenthal, Peter Rosenthal and Martin Greenberg, Bustin Bay improved to 13-for-43 with nine seconds, six thirds and $740,490 with the Sis City victory.

Claimed by Rice for $45,000 out of a victory in a state-bred allowance-optional September 24 during the Belmont at the Big A meeting, Bustin Bay finished second in the March 24 Biogio’s Rose Stakes at 1 mile at Aqueduct. Racing on the lead in the Sis City at the same distance, Bustin Bay clicked off splits of :23.50, :46.39 and 1:11.24 en route to victory over Movie Moxie in 1:36.36 over the fast track.

Bustin Bay is one of three winners out of the multiple stakes-winning Frost Giant mare Frosty Bay, who is also the dam of New York-breds Frosty Invasion ($86,680) and Icey Cash ($24,447).

The Sis City victory also produced significant awards for Bustin Bay’s connections – $16,500 to the breeders, $4,125 to stallion and $8,250 to the owners.

The New York Claiming Championship card featured six starter allowance events at various distances. Sue Ellen Mishkin, a 5-year-old New York-bred daughter of Mohaymen owned and trained by Rice, also finished second in the $55,000 Videogenic on the card.

Set, a son of Oscar Performance bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock, wins Saturday’s Cutler Bay Stakes. Lauren King/Gulfstream Park Photo.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ and Gary Barber’s Set stayed undefeated Saturday with a victory in the $125,000 Cutler Bay to kick off the stakes portion of the Florida Derby Day card at Gulfstream Park.

Bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock, the son of Oscar Performance added the 7 1/2-furlong turf stakes to his victory at the same trip February 24 at Gulfstream. The 3-5 favorite in the field of seven, Set raced in second early under Emisael Jaramillo as King Julien set the pace. King Julien led by a length through the opening quarter-mile in :24.14 and a half-length through the half in :47.83 over the firm turf.

King Julien didn’t have much left to hold off Set around the turn as the New York-bred quickly challenged and took over by the time the field reached the stretch. The only pressure Set endured down the was from his own jockey’s urging with no serious challenges coming from the rest of the field. Set won by 1 1/4 lengths over Double Your Money in 1:28.10.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Barber purchased Set for $150,000 at last year’s OBS April 2-year-olds in training sale from consignor Gene Recio.

Trained by Mark Casse, Set is out of the Irish-bred Strategic Prince daughter Three Am Tour, who won three races in her career. Set is the second stakes performer for the mare, who is also the dam of the New York-bred stakes-placed Busy Morning. Overall, she has produced three winners from four to race.

“He trained really well going into his first race, and we were pretty high on him,” said Casse’s assistant Nick Tomlinson. “We weren’t 100 percent sure if he was fit enough but he still got there. He trained wonderfully again coming into this race. Jaramillo came into the paddock and said that there was some speed on the inside. I said, ‘It’s up to you. You know him best.’ He sat off them, made a nice run and kept on with it.

“He’s a lovely horse. … I think as everybody knows Graham [Motion] had him before us and he gave him a lovely foundation, so a lot of the credit has to go to his crew, as well. Lovely horse, bright future, and we’re excited to see what happens.”

Three Am Tour is out of a half-sister to the British stakes placed Falak with her granddam a three-quarter sister to top broodmare Maryinsky. The pedigree also includes Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner and Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile winner War of Will among the 10 Grade 1 winners under Set’s fourth dam Minnie Hauk.

Three AM Tour produced a colt from the first crop of Hidden Lake Farm’s Galilean last year before returning to Oscar Performance for a full sibling to Set.

Stonewall Star, sixth in back-to-back starts in open allowance-optional races, returns to winner’s circle in Sunday’s Biogio’s Rose Stakes. NYRA Photo.

Horacio De Paz looked for answers when multiple stakes winner Stonewall Star turned in atypical performances in her three starts last fall and this winter since returning from a more than seven-month break.

He made a few changes with Barry Schwartz’s homebred daughter of Flatter, namely taking off blinkers for her morning breezes leading up to Sunday’s $97,000 Biogio’s Rose at Aqueduct. De Paz also took them off for the 1-mile stakes originally carded for Saturday but pushed a day later when New York Racing Association officials shifted the slate to avoid wet weather that blasted the region Friday and Saturday.

Stonewall Star, running without those familiar black blinkers she’d been decked out with in all 11 of her starts, returned to the form that landed her four victories in her first seven starts with a victory over Bustin Bay in the Biogio’s Rose. Ridden by Isaac Castillo, Stonewall Star won by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:36.51 for the mile on the track labeled fast.

“We worked her in her second work back (March 9) and took the blinkers off and she was on the inside – she galloped out really well,” De Paz said. “I figured stretching out would make the pace a little bit easier and it would be a good idea to take them off. She’s a sharp filly and a happy type of filly.”

Stonewall Star raced close to the early pace set by Security Code with 6-5 favorite Venti Valentine to her outside. That trio raced as a team through the opening quarter-mile in :24.35.

Security Code, winner of the Broadway Stakes by a neck last time out over Venti Valentine, still led 9-2 fourth choice Stonewall Star by a tenuous head through the half in :47.61. Stonewall Star put her head in front midway around the far turn and led Security Code by a head past the quarter-pole and 6 furlongs in 1:11.95.

Castillo let Stonewall Star out in the lane and she opened up a 1 1/2-length lead in midstretch as Security Code and Venti Valentine backed up. Bustin Bay, coming back after winning an open-company allowance-optional March 14 for trainer Linda Rice, made a run from fourth in the lane to land the runner-up spot. Venti Valentine finished third with Security Code fourth and Sweetest Princess fifth.

“She’s really kind,” Castillo said. “The trainer did a very good job to get the filly to relax before the race. I know the [other] horses were coming, but she feels so comfortable up there. When I asked her, she still had so much left.”

De Paz was pleased with the decision to remove the blinkers and also race Stonewall Star in the state-bred ranks for the first time since winning the Franklin Square Stakes last January at Aqueduct. The Biogio’s Rose also marked the first time Stonewall Star raced at the 1-mile trip.

“She was always a talented filly, we just had trouble bringing her back to form,” De Paz said. “Just letting the pace be a little easier back in New York-bred company [helped] and I figured she could stretch out. She handled 7 [furlongs] just fine, especially at Laurel and when we tried Keeneland [third in the Grade 3 Beaumont last year]. Isaac rode a great race, controlled, and just let her be where she was comfortable and not rush her. I’m very happy for her to come back.”

Bred and foaled at Schwartz’s Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, Stonewall Star improved to 5-for-12 with a second and four thirds in the Biogio’s Rose. A stakes winner at 2 and 3 and an earner of $353,198, Stonewall Star is the fourth foal and one of three stakes winners out of the Proud Citizen mare Jonata.

Whatlovelookslike, a 5-year-old daughter of English Channel and finalist for champion New York-bred turf female honors in 2023, sports a record of 5-3-2 in 14 starts with earnings of $416,350 for Schwartz and trainer Todd Pletcher. Whatlovelookslike won last year’s Port Washington Stakes at Belmont Park and finished third in the John Hettinger Stakes during the Belmont at the Big A meeting.

La Fuerza, a now 8-year-old full brother to Stonewall Star, won three stakes carrying his owner and breeder’s black and white colors in 2018. He won four of eight and earned $261,610. Jonata is also the dam of New York-bred winner Citizen K, a gelding by Mizzen Mast with a record of 3-2-2 in 18 starts and a bankroll of $185,212.

A $100,000 purchase by Schwartz at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale, Jonata won two of 17 starts with five placings and $140,800.

Sweet Brown Sugar adds Sunday’s East View to her victory last season in the Shesastonecoldfox Stakes at Finger Lakes. NYRA Photo.

Richie Rich Racing Stable’s Sweet Brown Sugar made a significant improvement off her first try in stakes company on the New York Racing Association circuit with a victory in Sunday’s $100,000 East View for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies.

The daughter of Collected, fifth in the Franklin Square Stakes in mid-January for Finger Lakes-based trainer Paul Barrow, used a pair of preps in allowance-optional company for her second stakes victory Sunday. Sweet Brown Sugar won the 6-furlong East View under Jose Lezcano, coming up the inside on the far turn and drawing off by 4 lengths over Bernietakescharge.

“We’ve won a few stakes at Finger Lakes, but this is the first good horse we’ve had at NYRA,” said Barrow, celebrating his first stakes score on the NYRA circuit. “It’s unbelievable; it’s great. When you start training, you want to win these races. I’m a big New York-bred guy, so to win it with a New York-bred, it’s great.”

Sent off as the 6-1 third choice in the field of seven and just two weeks after winning an allowance-optional on a muddy track, Sweet Brown Sugar raced third early as Bustin Time and Bernietakescharge sparred through the opening quarter-mile in :22.48.

Lezcano kept Sweet Brown Sugar down on the inside heading into the far turn and slipped through an inside at the midpoint of the bend to take the lead. Sweet Brown Sugar led by a half-length after a half in :46.12 and spurted clear turning for home.

“She doesn’t like the dirt too much in her face, and I got lucky with [Bustin Time], she stayed way out and I was able to keep [her] face clean,” Lezcano said. “She responded and came up with a good race and is feeling very good. I had a lot of horse when I asked her.”

Sweet Brown Sugar, winner of the Shesastonecoldfox Stakes back home at Finger Lakes to closer her 2-year-old season, widened through the lane and won in 1:10.55. Bernietakescharge held second as the 4-5 favorite, a length in front of 8-5 second choice Caldwell Luvs Gold. Thirteen Red Flags, Bustin Time, Ruming and Soloshot completed the field.

Barrow was quick to credit Lezcano, aboard Sweet Brown Sugar in her last two races before the East View.

“If you watch the race, Jose did keep her very clean in the race,” he said. “It was key to her finishing. The rider made the difference in this case, and she’s improving. Masterful ride. When he’s on the inside like that, it’s very tough to keep them clean, but I thought he did a great job.

“My biggest concern was her getting trapped behind a wall of horses and the kickback and all that, for him to [have to] negotiate a way to get outside. But he was smart enough to stay inside and keep her clean.”

Barrow said he’d ship Sweet Brown Sugar back to Finger Lakes and “give her a little time off” after coming back on short rest to win back-to-back starts. Sweet Brown Sugar picked up $55,000 for the East View and boosted her bankroll to $150,500 from a record of 4-0-1 in six starts.

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman and foaled at their Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, Sweet Brown Sugar originally sold for $10,000 through the Sequel New York consignment at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. She was then offered as part of the Scenic Sales consignment at the 2023 OBS June sale and brought $32,000 from Nick Hines, agent for Richie Rich Stables.

Sweet Brown Sugar is the first and lone foal out of the Broman’s homebred Bodemeister mare Rachel’s Blue Moon, the winner of two of 11 starts and $97,096. Rachel’s Blue Moon is out of the Broman’s homebred multiple stakes-winning and Grade 1-place El Corredor mare Beautiful But Blue, who is also the dam of stakes-placed Montebello. Beautiful But Blue won five of 17 starts and earned $395,450. She’s out of the multiple stakes-winning Dixie Brass mare Beautiful America, who won six of 21 starts and earned $523,927 for the Bromans from 2002 to 2004.

Antonio of Venice and jockey Manny Franco cruise to victory in Sunday’s Damon Runyon Stakes at Aqueduct. Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.

Antonio of Venice enjoyed a much smoother trip this time around and turned the tables on Mischief Joke in Sunday’s 49th renewal of the $93,000 Damon Runyon for 3-year-old New York-breds at Aqueduct.

Second by a length to that foe in the Rego Park in late January, Antonio of Venice took command shortly after the start and stayed in control through the 6-furlong stakes for his second stakes victory. Owned by Michael Imperio, Robert Cotrone, Hibiscus Stables and trainer Rudy Rodriguez, the 3-year-old son of former New York-based sire Laoban won by 9 1/4 lengths and improved to 3-for-8 with three placings in the Damon Runyon.

“He is a versatile horse,” winning jockey Manny Franco said. “He can do whatever you ask him to do. Today was a short field, I had to play the break and he broke that fast so I just went on with him, because I knew he could be on the front end, too. That is what we did. We got it done.

“You can see at the eighth pole that I just eased him down. I think I hit him once, but after that I did nothing. I just eased him down. He did it so easily.”

Antonio of Venice went to the post as the even-money second choice in the field of four reduced after the scratch of morning-line favorite Heavyweight Champs. Antonio of Venice and jockey Manny Franco led Mischief Joke by a half-length through the opening quarter in :22.96, with Mad Banker not far back and Aelfgar fourth of the quartet.

Antonio of Venice and Mischief Joke started to separate from the other two around the far turn and the former edged away from his rival after a half in :46.09. Antonio of Venice cruised from there, turning for home well clear, sliding past 5 furlongs in :57.81 and drawing clear late to win in 1:10.35 over the fast track. Mischief Joke finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Aelfgar with Mad Banker fourth.

“Those were the two best horses in the race,” Rodriguez said of Antonio of Venice and Mischief Joke. “I said to Manny, ‘if you hook up together, let it be,’ but I didn’t want to hook up with the one horse. When Manny asked him at the three-eighths pole, it looked like he had a lot of horse. I felt really confident when he asked him and he opened up half a length. He looked very comfortable.”

Bred by Cypress Creek Equine LLC, Antonio of Venice sold for $35,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale and for the same price at this year’s OBS March sale. Antonio of Venice is the third foal out of Stella Performance, who also produced winning full siblings to the Damon Runyon winner in New York-breds Modern Midas ($78,200 in earnings) and I’m Wide Awake ($144,228).

Stella Performance is also the dam of a New York-bred yearling colt by McKinzie and filly by Keepmeinmind born February 18 in New York, and both bred by Cypress Creek Equine LLC.

A maiden winner at Saratoga Race Course in his third start, Antonio of Venice finished off the board in his first two stakes tries before a victory in the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes in mid-December. The victory in the Damon Runyon boosted his earnings to $425,744