Sunday afternoon at Aqueduct Racetrack, General Maximus will
attempt to wrap up his 2010 Big Apple campaign the same way he began – with a
victory in the New York Stallion Series.
A front-running winner of the NYSS Times Square at Belmont Park
in May, General Maximus will face four others in the $75,000 Thunder Rumble
division of the series, which is restricted to horses sired by stallions
standing in the state of New York.
The 3-year-old Freud colt enters the seven-furlong Thunder Rumble off a 1
½-length victory in the Hudson Stakes on New York Showcase Day at Belmont Park in October, his third win of the
year from seven starts.
“He came out of that last race in wonderful shape,” said
John Terranova, who trains General Maximus for Gold Mark Farm. “We considered
running him in the [Grade 3] Fall Highweight on Thanksgiving Day, but he’s
coming right along and this seems like a good spot for him. I think he’s got a
shot to develop into a top sprinter next year, so we’ll see what happens.”
Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado rides General Maximus, who
drew post position 2.
Back to defend his title in the Thunder Rumble is the John
Kimmel-trained Uncle T Seven, a 4 ¾-length winner in 2009. The 4-year-old Freud
colt compiled a solid record in the NYSS last year, also taking the Cab
Calloway and finishing second in the Spectacular Bid, and comes into the
Thunder Rumble following a fourth-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Mohawk on the
turf on New York Showcase Day.
Alex Solis will ride Uncle T Seven, the co-highweight under
124 pounds, from the rail.
Also carrying 124 pounds is the hard-hitting Driven by
Success, who looks to return to the winner’s circle for the first time for
trainer Todd Pletcher since his nearly seven-length victory in the Vic Ziegel
Memorial Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on August 27. Subsequently fifth in the
Grade 1 Vosburgh and fourth in the Hudson, the Repole Stable color-bearer will
be ridden by John Velazquez from post position 4.
Make Note, most recently fifth in the Vic Ziegel, and Good
Card complete the field for the Thunder Rumble, which will be run as race 8 and
which will be joined on Sunday’s card by its sister race, the $75,000 NYSS
Staten Island.
Trainer Linda Rice has a trio of fillies and mares going in
the seven-furlong Staten Island, headed by 4-year-old Mother Russia, who is
seeking her first win of 2010 after going 4-for-4 in NYSS races last year. Rice
will also saddle Healthy Debate and We Need V L T’s, a pair of 3-year-old
fillies making their stakes debut.
Rounding out the field for the Staten
Island, which will be run as race 3, are Bretton Woods, Big
Brownie, and Raffie’s Rose.
The field for the $75,000 Thunder Rumble:
The field for the $75,000 Staten
Island: