Nicole H looks to regain her winning ways as she makes a quick
turnaround Saturday afternoon at Belmont Park, heading a field of seven
filly and mare sprinters in the Grade 2, $200,000 Vagrancy Handicap.
Trained by Mike Hushion for Gem Racing, the multiple
stakes-winning mare opened her 5-year-old campaign with victories in the
Correction and Interborough at Aqueduct Racetrack and a second-place
finish in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Handicap at Laurel Park. The
daughter of Mr. Greeley then turned in a pair of fourth-place efforts,
first behind multiple Grade 1 winner It’s Tricky in the Grade 2 Distaff
Handicap at Aqueduct and again last Saturday in the My Juliet at Parx
Racing.
“She ran a really good race over there,” said Hushion of
Nicole H’s performance in the My Juliet. “I thought there would be a
possibility – since she had had a nice rest before the race – that she
could run back quickly. When I saw her the next day, and the day after
that, with the way she came out of the race, I thought it was the thing
to do.”
The 2-1 morning-line favorite, Nicole H drew post position 3 under Ramon Dominguez for the 6 ½-furlong race.
Trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr., who won the 2008 running of the
Vagrancy with Looky Yonder, has entered the duo of C C’s Pal and Smart
Stride as the 5-2 second choice on the morning line.
Winner of the Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct on New Year’s
Day, C C’s Pal subsequently was third in the Barbara Fritchie and then
finished second, ahead of Nicole H, in the Distaff and My Juliet. The
5-year-old Alex’s Pal mare drew post 5 and will have Junior Alvarado in
the irons.
Stablemate Smart Stride will be making her stakes debut
in the Vagrancy, having finished no worse than third in six starts this
year. Most recently third as the 1-2 favorite in a seven-furlong
optional claimer at Belmont, she will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez
from post position 2.
Third choice at 3-1 on the morning line is the Grade
1-placed She’s Cheeky, who is seeking her first victory since taking an
allowance at Santa Anita on December 29, 2008. In three starts this
year, the 7-year-old mare was second in the Grade 1 Vinery Madison at
Keeneland, third in the Grade 1 Santa Monica at Santa Anita, and third
in the Grade 3 Las Flores. She will be ridden by John Velazquez from
post position 7.
Rounding out the field, from the rail out, are Belle of
the Hall, second in the overnight Marta stakes last time out; Kid Kate,
the winner of a pair of overnight stakes at Saratoga Race Course last
summer who is making her first start of 2012; and Dontbeshy I’ll Buy,
third in the Distaff.
The field for the Grade 2, $200,000 Vagrancy:
| Prog. No. PP |
Horse |
Jockey |
Wgt |
Trainer |
Odds |
1 2 |
Smart Stride |
C H Velasquez |
114 |
R E Dutrow, Jr. |
5-2 |
1a 5 |
C C’s Pal |
J Alvarado |
118 |
R E Dutrow, Jr. |
5-2 |
2 1 |
Belle of the Hall |
J Castellano |
115 |
T Albertrani |
8-1 |
3 3 |
Nicole H |
R Dominguez |
118 |
M Hushion |
2-1 |
4 4 |
Kid Kate |
E Castro |
115 |
C Brown |
6-1 |
5 6 |
Dontbeshy I'll Buy |
E S Prado |
114 |
E R Reed |
12-1 |
6 7 |
She's Cheeky |
J R Velazquez |
118 |
P Eurton |
3-1 |