De Paz hopes for memorable weekend at the Big A with three stakes entrants

• De Paz hopes for memorable weekend at the Big A with three stakes entrants
• Hazlewood may expand presence in New York
• Light the Way set to shine in Listed $150K Toboggan

Trainer Horacio De Paz has entered a trio of contenders across three stakes this weekend at Aqueduct Racetrack, led by Stonewall Star in Friday’s $135,000 Interborough for older fillies and mares sprinting seven furlongs. She is joined on Friday’s card by Low Country Magic in the $135,000 Ladies for older fillies and mares going nine furlongs ahead of Time to Roll’s return to stakes company in the $135,000 Damon Runyon for New York-bred sophomores sprinting seven furlongs on Saturday.

Friday’s 11-race card features five stakes and is headlined by the Listed $200,000 Withers [Race 10], a nine-furlong test for sophomores offering 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Joining the Withers are the seven-furlong Listed $150,000 Toboggan [Race 4] for 4-year-olds and up, the $135,000 Ruthless [Race 8] for sophomore fillies, along with the Interborough [Race 2] and Ladies [Race 6]. First post is 11:45 a.m. Eastern.

Barry Schwartz’s New York homebred Stonewall Star looks to rebound from a distant fifth-place finish after pressing the heavily favored Weigh the Risks in the Listed Go for Wand going a one-turn mile against open company on December 13 here. The 6-year-old daughter of Flatter made just two starts last year, the other a two-length second to multiple graded stakes-placed millionaire Sterling Silver in the local state-bred Iroquois sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs in October off a 10-month respite.

“I don’t know if that race [the Iroquois] because of the long layoff took too much out of her for her second start,” De Paz said of the Go for Wand effort. “It might just be taking her a bit to get back into a rhythm, but that first race off the layoff was encouraging that she still wants to be competitive. Hopefully, this third start off the layoff, she’s where she needs to be and we can move forward.”

Stonewall Star’s abbreviated 5-year-old campaign came on the heels of a productive season in 2024 that included a pair of state-bred stakes wins at the Big A. That March, she took the Biogio’s Rose in pace-pressing fashion and notched a similar score in the Bay Ridge in December, both at one mile.

“We’re trying to regroup off her last effort. We took the race to Weigh the Risks last time and that mare seems to be on a different level,” De Paz said. “Hopefully, she can come back to that effort she had off the layoff and we can figure out where she wants to be competitive and where we can put her.”

The bay mare flashed her talents early, graduating at second asking ahead of a close third against males in the 2022 New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes Racetrack. She went on to win three stakes in her next four outings – including an 11-length romp against open company in Laurel Park’s Wide Country – and notched a graded placing with a third in the 2023 Grade 2 Beaumont at Keeneland.

“It’s been great. We had her as a 2-year-old and we were able to develop her and bring her along,” De Paz said. “This time of year, if she shows she doesn’t want to be competitive, she’ll eventually go off and be a broodmare, so this next race or two will tell us what route we go. I’m happy with what she’s accomplished. She won against open company and took us to Keeneland. She’s been very versatile.”

Out of the winning Proud Citizen mare Jonata, Stonewall Star is full-sister to three-time stakes-winner La Fuerza, and a half-sister to stakes-winner Whatlovelookslike. She has banked $513,398 through a 20-6-3-4 record.

Jaime Rodriguez will be aboard Stonewall Star from post 4-of-6 [6-1ML].

Haymarket Farm’s Kentucky homebred Low Country Magic makes her first outing for De Paz after making 13 starts for now-retired trainer Ignacio Correas, IV. The 5-year-old Good Magic chestnut enters the Ladies off a nearly fourth-month respite dating to an even fifth-place finish in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on October 25 at Keeneland.

While Stonewall Star steered clear of the Chad Brown-trained Weigh the Risks in the Interborough, it’s Low Country Magic’s turn to face the multiple stakes-winner in the Ladies, a task De Paz admitted is lofty.

“A nice-looking mare and it seems like she handles a route of ground,” De Paz said. “We’re looking to see if we can get some black type on her and some value as a broodmare. Obviously Chad’s filly in there is very tough, and it seems on paper like we’re a need-the-lead type of horse, but there’s some nice mares in this race where I’m not sure that will be easy to accomplish. We’re taking a swing, but hopefully she can hit the board and get some black type.”

The mare’s 13-3-2-3 record includes just one stakes attempt, a distant off-the-board finish in the one-mile Twixt in September at Laurel. Last year, she notched back-to-back allowance-level wins in wire-to-wire fashion at Horseshoe Indianapolis and Laurel in May and June, respectively.

Low Country Magic is out of the Malibu Moon mare Marsh Harbour, whose dam Abaco was a dual graded stakes-winning Phipps Stable homebred.

Rodriguez will look to engineer a winning ride from post 1-of-6 [15-1ML] in the Ladies. 

De Paz’s stakes hopes extend into Saturday at the Big A as Time to Roll looks to build upon a 6 3/4-length allowance score on December 11 here for owners Adelphi Racing Club and Chief Horse Futures.

The son of Not This Time graduated at second asking in an off-the-turf state-bred maiden going a one-turn mile in September here, leading at every point of call with early pressure before extending his margin to 5 1/2 lengths at the stretch call and holding on for the 1 1/2-length victory over Newlyn. The third-place finisher, Talk to Me Jimmy, graduated next out and is entered in Friday’s Withers.

The grey colt went on to finish a prominent fifth in the state-bred Sleepy Hollow, where he battled early with Fourth and One before fading to finish 12 1/4 lengths behind the victorious Bravaro. He employed different tactics in his last-out win, pouncing from fourth early after chasing six-wide and drawing off to the impressive score, earning a career-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure.

“It was the effort we were hoping to see,” De Paz said. “He did everything right and he’s come out of it in good order and seems to be maturing. He’s kind of one of those zero-to-60 horses. When we ran in the stakes, we got stuck on the rail and the horse hooked up outside him, and there’s no letting off. I think that caved him in. If he can relax, he can have it a little easier like he had in the allowance, where he was able to sit back and run into himself. It’s not that he’s not capable of going to the lead, but if someone hooks up with him, it turns into a speed duel and he’s all-out. That’s the part he needs to learn.”

Time to Roll has worked three times over the Belmont Park training track since his win, including a half-mile bullet in 47.27 seconds on January 9, best of 101 workers at that distance. He followed with another half-mile work in 48.23 on January 22.

“It was a bit quicker than we needed to go, so we took it easy with him the following week,” De Paz said. “He’s fit and ready and does plenty in his gallops, too. He’s a teenager that feels too good right now, and he thinks he can conquer the world every day.”

Jaime Rodriguez will ride Time to Roll from post 4-of-8 on Saturday.

Bred by Kingsport Farm, Time to Roll was a $270,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale and is out of the Grade 3-placed Medaglia d’Oro mare My Galina. His third dam is multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Stellar Jayne.

De Paz also provided an update on graded stakes-placed turf sprinter Twenty Six Black, who was last seen winning the state-bred New York Turf Sprint Championship on October 25 at Belmont at the Big A. A homebred for Roger Cimbora, Jr., the 6-year-old War Dancer gelding was in career form last year, landing a lifetime-best 100 Beyer at Saratoga Race Course for a second to Bring Theband Home in the Grade 2 Troy and a 2 1/4-length win in the restricted Disco Partner. 

“He’s doing great,” De Paz said. “He’s down at Nick de Meric’s and he said he’s back training and moving along. I would assume all those turf horses will be back [to De Paz] at the end of February or in early March. I’m looking forward to him coming back. He’s such a fun horse and we hope for big things with him.”

De Paz mentioned a similar campaign to last year, including the Listed Elusive Quality at the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet, could be in the cards for Twenty Six Black.

“He really likes Saratoga, so we’ll keep him running there, and we’ll get him started in the turf sprint this spring at Aqueduct,” De Paz said. “Last year, I had hinted at the Jaipur a little bit, but we’ll see how he is. We’ll also take into consideration those New York-bred stakes and take advantage of those as well.”

Twenty Six Black holds a 17-7-4-2 record with $627,310 in total purse earnings. He is out of the First Dude mare Brazo de Oro and is a half-brother to the stakes-placed Can’t Fool Me.

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Hazlewood may expand presence in New York

Apprentice jockey Yedsit Hazlewood has posted a 3-2-2 record over 11 mounts so far this year at Aqueduct Racetrack and his agent John DiNatale said the rider hopes to add to that total shortly. The 17-year-old native of Panama is named on five horses here Thursday.

“We’re planning on being there Thursdays. He’d like to come more often and if I can start generating more business, we’ll probably start shifting a lot of our days to New York,” said DiNatale. “Maybe next week we’ll try Thursday and Sunday and see how that works out in New York. I talked to him a little while ago and we have so much business here in Maryland, if I can make the numbers match, you might be seeing him in New York a lot more often.”

Hazlewood, Maryland's leading rider of last year, was the runner-up for the 2025 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice behind Pietro Moran. Hazlewood won 95 races at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course last year as Maryland’s top rider and also took honors at the Maryland State Fair meeting at Timonium and the Laurel Park fall meet.

DiNatale credits trainer Jose Corrales with realizing the talent of the young jockey.

“Jose Corrales, who is kind of like his mentor and guardian, told me about him and said I had to take a look at this kid because of his raw talent. For a 17-year-old kid, he has a good head. He learns quickly, doesn’t get crazy or lose his temper,” DiNatale said. “He lost his 10-pound [weight allowance] in a week, everyone in the grandstand asked, ‘where did you find this ringer?’ He never looked like an apprentice from Day One. He looked like a journeyman.”

Hazlewood won six stakes last year across three tracks, including Laurel Park, Penn National and Parx Racing. This year, he already captured Laurel’s $100,000 Jennings aboard Quint’s Brew for trainer Ned Allard.

“Trainers put him on horses in stakes. They did right away, or at least Gary Capuano did,” DiNatale said. “I really think if he keeps his poise about him and his head focused, he has the ability to be a top rider anywhere. I don’t care if it is New York, California, whoever he rides with, but in a couple of years, he’ll be there.”

DiNatale said Hazlewood’s presence in New York could be benefited as he regularly rides for trainers Rick Dutrow, Jr. and Jamie Ness.

“Rick Dutrow has been a real help to us. I trained horses for 40 years and was very friendly with Rick’s dad. I knew Rick, Tony and Chip when they were little boys, so when Rick saw him ride, he called me and said I had to bring him,” DiNatale said. “We have our plate full, it is just about trying to make the right decisions. I don’t want him to slow down, because he doesn’t want to slow down. We’ll play it by ear for New York: Thursdays, and if we can get more days, we’ll come up.”

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Light the Way set to shine in Listed $150K Toboggan

Light the Way will look to go from claim-to-fame in Friday’s Listed $150,000 Toboggan, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Friday’s stacked 11-race card is headlined by the Listed $200,000 Withers [Race 10], a nine-furlong test for sophomores offering 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Joining the Withers and Toboggan [Race 4] among five stakes on the program are a trio of $135,000 stakes in the Interborough [Race 2], the Ladies [Race 6] and the Ruthless [Race 8]. First post is 11:45 a.m. Eastern.

Light the Way, a 6-year-old Justify gelding, was haltered for $100,000 from a runner-up effort last out on January 11 here by trainer Mike Maker for owner David Staudacher. There, the speedy bay showed the way through contested splits of 23.11 seconds and 45.76 over a muddy and sealed track en route to a 1 3/4-length second to Bramito.

Light the Way enjoyed a profitable 2025 with $350,673 in purse earnings via a 13-6-2-1 ledger. He tried his luck in a pair of Grade 3 events at Belmont at the Big A last year, including a 2 3/4-length fifth in the seven-furlong Vosburgh presented by Army Mule and a distant fourth in the one-mile Forty Niner.

“He kept some good company and is a very consistent horse. I felt that we'd be able to get our investment back,” Maker said of the claim.

Maker said he expects another prominent effort from Light the Way.

“I think that's his style. He's in great shape and I don’t think we'd need to change anything,” Maker said.

Light the Way [post 2, Manny Franco] is listed at 12-1 on the morning line for Friday’s test that features multiple stakes-winner Doc Sullivan [post 1, Ricardo Santana, Jr., 5-2ML] and Grade 1-placed Be You [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche, 7-2ML]. Last year's race winner, Maximum Meridius, was entered in the Toboggan, but instead will run in an optional-claiming tilt later today at Parx.

Light the Way, bred in Kentucky by Samantha Siegel, is a half-brother to dual Grade 1-winning millionaire By the Moon – both are out of the Grade 1-placed New York-bred Malibu Moon mare By the Light. Light the Way's 5-year-old half-brother, Ignite the Light, won an optional-claiming event here Wednesday.