Mirroring 2011,
Nicole H commenced the New Year with a victory in the $75,000 Interborough at
Aqueduct Racetrack.
Odds-on to post a repeat victory in the six-furlong race for fillies
and mares, Nicole H raced behind horses in fourth to the top of the stretch,
split rivals at the three-sixteenths pole to launch her rally, and maintained a
neck advantage to the wire after gaining the upper hand over pacesetter Winning
Image.
“Throughout the first part of the race she was as brilliant as
she has always been – very handy and full of herself,” said
Dominguez. “When she made the lead, there was a change today. She was
obviously slowing down the last sixteenth of a mile. You have to take into
consideration that she hasn’t run in awhile; I don’t know whether
that was a factor, but I’m not overly concerned. Overall I was happy with
her; there is always room to improve, she probably just got tired the last
sixteenth.”
Nicole H, who returned $2.90 for a $2 win wager, completed the distance
in 1:10.99.
After winning the 2011 Interborough, Nicole H took the Grade 2 Distaff
Handicap, also at Aqueduct. A respiratory infection kept her away from the
races until October 22 when she led in deep stretch of Suffolk Downs’
Robert M. O’Malley before she was nipped on the wire by a resurgent
It’s Me Mom. The Interborough was Nicole H’s first start following
the O’Malley, with It’s Me Mom having won two straight following
the race, including an 8 ¼-length runaway score in Saturday’s Minaret
Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
Trainer Mike Hushion hopes Nicole H will once again be able to use the
Interborough as a springboard to graded stakes success as he has the Grade 2 Barbara
Fritchie at Laurel Park in mind for her next start.
“At the top of the stretch, there were four across in front of
her, but the seam was plenty and [Dominguez] didn’t have to bang his way
out of there,” said Hushion. “He said he loved everything about her
the whole way. He wasn’t concerned about her switching leads late, he was
just concerned she didn’t keep going and open up on them. The blinkers
were cut back on her a little bit; maybe they need to be closed up again, I
don’t know.”
Nicole H, a 5-year-old daughter of Mr. Greeley owned by Gem, Inc., is
6-6-2 in 17 career starts and is unbeaten in four tries at Aqueduct, including
three races on the inner track. The $45,000 winner’s share of the
Interborough purse lifted her career earnings to $374,344.
Aquitania finished third,
followed home by Isn’t She Grand, Bold Affair, and
Don’tgetsuspicious.