Photo: NYRA, Adam Coglianese
Undefeated Agave Kiss, freshened after winning the Ruthless on January 14, will be heavily
favored to win her graded stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000
Cicada at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The Cicada, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies, will be the fourth
race on a 10-race card that will also feature the $100,000 Fred
“Cappy” Capossela.
Agave Kiss began her career against New York-breds, breaking her maiden
by 6 ¼ lengths in October at Belmont
Park and airing by 10 ½
lengths in an Aqueduct allowance in December. In the Ruthless, the speedy filly
maintained a safe lead throughout the race, finding the wire 3 ¼ lengths to the
good of Well Kept.
With an eye on Grade 1 races like the $300,000 Prioress and $500,000
Test at Saratoga Race Course in August, trainer Rudy Rodriguez decided to
bypass Aqueduct’s Dearly Precious and await the Cicada with Agave Kiss.
“We just wanted keep her fresh,” said Rodriguez. “We
thought about running her, but it’s a long year and hopefully this will
be good for her. We think she’s growing, so we think this was a good
thing to do. We like her a lot, so we’re going to treat her like a good
horse. She looks good and we’re very, very happy with the way she is
right now.”
Ryan Curatolo, regular rider for owner Flying Zee Stables, will ride
Agave Kiss, the 3-5 morning-line favorite, in the Cicada. The tandem will leave
from post position 2.
William J. Punk, Jr.’s Corderosa prevailed by 5 ¼ lengths at
first asking at Aqueduct in December, then was third, beaten by 4 ¾ lengths by
Agave Kiss, in the Ruthless. The David Donk trainee enters the race having
finished second by a neck against three opponents in the Dearly Precious.
Junior Alvarado has the assignment aboard Corderosa, the 2-1
morning-line second choice, from post 5.
The field also includes Alydarla, second in the Madcap Escapade on turf
at Gulfstream Park on February 12; Nitara, a
four-length debut winner on February 5 at Aqueduct; and Princess Reyana, second
in a claiming race on March 1 at the Big A.
The field for the Grade 3, $150,000 Cicada:
|
PP
|
Horse
|
Jockey
|
Wgt
|
Trainer
|
Odds
|
|
1
|
Alydarla (KY)
|
D Cohen
|
118
|
J K Chapman
|
6-1
|
|
2
|
Agave Kiss (NY)
|
R Curatolo
|
122
|
R R Rodriguez
|
3-5
|
|
3
|
Nitara (KY)
|
C H Velasquez
|
118
|
E R Reed
|
15-1
|
|
4
|
Princess Reyana (NY)
|
S Camacho, Jr.
|
118
|
G C Contessa
|
30-1
|
|
5
|
Corderosa (KY)
|
J Alvarado
|
118
|
D G Donk
|
2-1
|