Vyjack favored for Stymie Stakes in 2015 debut
Ozone Park, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – A small but solid field of five older horses has been entered in Sunday’s $100,000 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct.
Local stakes winner Vyjack has been installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite for the 1 1/8-mile stakes. Trained by Gustavo Rodriguez for Pick Six Racing, the 5-year-old gelding will start from post 3 as he makes his debut for the year. Irad Ortiz Jr. will again be in the saddle.
Vyjack has been away from the races since coming in second on Dec. 13 in the Queens County. The gelding has wins at Aqueduct in the 2013 Jerome and Gotham Stakes and was third in the Wood Memorial behind Verrazano. Vyjack is just $62,500 away from becoming a millionaire and has won six of 16 career starts.
Micromanage, owned by Repole Stable with Todd Pletcher training, is the 2-1 second pick and will be ridden by Manny Franco from post 2. The 5-year-old was fourth in last month’s Evening Attire Stakes at the Big A as the 4-5 favorite.
Micromanage won Aqueduct’s Jazil Stakes on Jan. 19 which followed December’s victory in the Queens County Stakes. Micromanage has banked $766,881 with seven wins, four seconds and five thirds from 25 lifetime starts.
Evening Attire Stakes winner North Slope is the 3-1 third choice in the five- horse field. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin for Godolphin Racing, North Slope will leave from the inside post with Junior Alvarado making it two straight rides on the 5-year-old gelding.
“He came up from Florida (for the Stymie) doing very well,” said Art Magnuson, assistant to McLaughlin. “You never know why they run so well on a given day; I just hope he can do it again. He’s doing great. We gave him an easy breeze the other day to stretch his legs and we couldn’t be any happier with him.”
North Slope won the Evening Attire four weeks ago at nearly 8-1 over a muddy Aqueduct track. The 5-year-old gelding has five wins, four seconds and three thirds in 20 career starts for $370,707.
Turco Bravo, third in the Evening Attire, is the 12-1 longshot for Sunday and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 4 for trainer Gary Contessa and Winning Move Stable. The 6-year-old chestnut gelding began the year with a second at Laurel Park in the Native Dancer Stakes followed by a runner-up finish in the Jazil. Turco Bravo has won 10 of 38 lifetime starts with 13 seconds for $182,318.
Cousin Stephen is 4-1 in the program and will break from the outside post with jockey Kendrick Carmouche. The only 4-year-old in the field, Cousin Stephen is trained by Chad Brown for Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence.
Cousin Stephen has won his last two starts, both at Parx Racing, and goes for his first career stakes win. The colt has won four of 11 career starts and $167,452.
Here is the field for the Stymie in post position order: North Slope, Junior Alvarado, 3-1; Micromanage, Manny Franco, 2-1; Vyjack, Irad Ortiz Jr., 9-5; Turco Bravo, Jose Ortiz, 12-1 and Cousin Stephen, Kendrick Carmouche, 4-1.
The Stymie has an approximate post time Sunday of 2:18 p.m. ET.
Categorized in: Horses