NYRA/Adam Coglianese
Heavily favored Meeker Avenue (Read the Footnotes) won a head bob over second choice Laila’s Jazz (Smooth Jazz) to take an exciting renewal of the Great White Way, the first of a pair of six-furlong, $125,000 New York Stallion Series races for 2-year-olds co-featured at Aqueduct Racetrack on Sunday.
As Stoneless (Bustin Stones) capitalized on his early speed from the inside post to open up four lengths on his rivals, carving out rapid early fractions of 21.91 and 45.33, Meeker Avenue at the rail under Ramon Dominguez (3-5) and Laila’s Jazz in the three path under Rajiv Maragh (5-2) stalked four lengths behind in second and third.
Through the turn and in upper stretch, Meeker Avenue and Laila’s Jazz closed in on the leader, with Laila’s Jazz taking over the top spot in the three path around the furlong marker, and Meeker Avenue slipping through an opening at the rail.
NYRA/Adam Coglianese
In a tooth and claw dash to the wire, Laila’s Jazz maintained a slight advantage until the final strides, but a determined Meeker Avenue dug in, fought back and won the bob. Petrocelli (Disco Rico) closed into third two lengths back, while Here Comes Tommy, Stoneless and Madam I’m Adam completed the order of finish. The final time for six furlongs on the fast main track was 1:10.96.
Winning rider Ramon Dominguez said, “I was pleased because that definitely wasn’t the plan. I was looking to be on the lead or close behind. When he didn’t get away that well I was concerned because he was on the inside, a little shy, with a horse outside. Turning for home, he had to squeeze through a pretty narrow hole. He kept on trying. He’s already a pretty decent horse, but he’s going to prove to be even better.”
Trainer Dominick Schettino added, “He’s still maturing and learning. He’ll get better with more racing. He was in tight the whole race. It’s a learning process, but he ran a hell of a race.”
Owned jointly by Mary Ellen Bonomo’s MeB Racing Stables LLC and Anthony Bonomo’s Brooklyn Boyz Stables, Meeker Avenue is now unbeaten in two career starts, having taken his debut, a six furlong off-the-turf event, on the front end by 2 3/4 lengths at Belmont Park on September 19 under Jose Espinoza. He has now earned $112,440 from two winning starts.
Bred by Fred W. Hertrich III and foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, Meeker Avenue was the top-selling New York-sired New York-bred, and eighth best seller overall at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Preferred Yearling Sale, where he was purchased by Brooklyn Boyz for $135,000.
The bay gelding is the most recent of nine foals out of the unraced Silver Deputy mare Age of Silver, who has produced eight winners of eight foals to start, including stakes winner and multiple graded performer Age of Humor by Distorted Humor ($135,605) and multiple stakes placed Coach Ryan by Broad Brush ($113,099). Age of Silver was bred this past spring to Unbridled’s Song.
The sire of Meeker Avenue, Read the Footnotes, is a former top-ten New York sire for Sequel Stallions, where he stood from 2006 to 2011 before relocating to Oklahoma for the 2012 breeding season.
