Gazelle Stakes and Demoiselle Stakes Racing at Aqueduct

by Patricia Woo | Nov 23 2009

Fillies and mares get their turn in the spotlight at Aqueduct in Ozone Park, NY, during Thanksgiving weekend’s Holiday Fest. The "Big A" will host a duo of big stakes races for fillies and mares on Saturday, Nov. 28: the $300,000 Gr. 1 Gazelle Stakes for 3-year-olds and the $200,000 Gr. 2 Demoiselle Stakes for 2-year-olds, both events offering excellent chances to wager on horse racing. 

Godolphin’s Flashing is the headliner in the 1 1/8-mile Gazelle Stakes, in what is likely the last race of her career. Overall, she has had a successful 3-year-old campaign, winning four of eight starts, including the Grade 1 $300,000 Test Stakes at Saratoga in August; the Saeed bin Suroor-trained 3-year-old had a terrible last outing – 13^th place – in the $300,000 Gr. 2 Lexus Raven Run at Keeneland on Oct. 24, showing clearly her dislike of synthetic surfaces.

Another big name set to run in the Gazelle Stakes is the 2008 Eclipse Award-winning Stardom Bound, who tumbled from the spotlight – and the Kentucky Oaks trail – after having her five-race winning streak snapped in the $400,000 Gr. 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland in August. This lightly raced charge of Rick Dutrow, Jr., will be returning to the racetrack for the first time in over seven months, an event the horse racing world has been eagerly anticipating.

On the other side of the spectrum is Homewrecker Racing’s Multipass, who will be making her debut in a graded stakes race. This Kentucky-bred 3-year-old, trained by Eddie Kenneally, already has 10 races under her belt in 2009 and four wins but will be in for a challenge against graded stakes-winning company. Others expected for the Gazelle Stakes are Me Love and Sweet and Flawless; Justwhistledixie and Milwaukee Appeal are also possible.

The 1-mile Demoiselle Stakes is an early opportunity for horse bettors to get a look at some of the potential 2010 Kentucky Oaks contenders. Seeking her second win at Aqueduct since arriving in early November, In Perpetuity is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Bernstein. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, In Perpetuity broke her maiden in a 2-length win and is a promising competitor.

Another contender who has shown potential is Oh Diane, a Stephen Got Even filly who was recently claimed for $25,000 by Winning Move Stable. She rewarded her new connections with a win by a nose at Meadowlands on Nov. 12, bettering her two previous fifth-place finishes. And after breaking her maiden in her first outing of the year, Tizahit has been looking for her first stakes victory. The closest this daughter of Tiznow has come so far is in the $75,000 Blue Hen Stakes at Delaware Park where she placed second in October; her most recent race result is a fourth-place finish in the Gr. 3 $100,000 Tempted Stakes on Nov. 7 at Aqueduct behind Ailalea (who was scheduled to run in the Demoiselle but will bypass it because of a fever).

Also probable are Kelly Breen’s recent maiden-winning In the Rough (a Stormy Atlantic filly) and Profiteroles (a daughter of A.P. Indy).

Don’t miss out on any of the horse racing action at Aqueduct! Bet on horse racing at the Bodog Racebook!