With the Angels much the best in $135K Correction
Winning Move Stable, John C. Oxley, Lady Sheila Stable, Silverwood Stables and Sanford H. Robbins’ New York-bred With the Angels drove clear to a decisive 4 1/2-length score for her first open-company stakes victory in Sunday’s $135,000 Correction, a six-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by the current Big A winter meet-leader Linda Rice, the 4-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach doubled up on victories after a similar 3 1/2-length optional claiming score going 6 1/2 furlongs versus open company on January 22 here. Never off the board in nine outings, she adds to previous state-bred stakes success here in the Joseph A. Gimma, Maid of the Mist and Key Cents as part of a perfect 4-for-4 juvenile campaign in 2024.
"She's an absolute doll to train,” Rice said. “Every day she never makes a wrong move - she's such a pleasure to be around."
With the Angels was away sharpest from the outermost post 4 under Jose Lezcano, but was patiently handled as My Lil Punky rushed up the inside to take command with Sunday Girl on her flank through the opening quarter-mile in 23.22 seconds over the good footing.
Lezcano kept With the Angels in the four-path entering the turn as the slow-starting Lucille Ball kept close watch behind the top trio before My Lil Punky began to stall. The Katie Davis-piloted Sunday Girl stuck her head in front through the half-mile in 46.92 while With the Angels loomed large on the outside with strong momentum. Sunday Girl ran on gamely, but With the Angels swept by in mid-stretch to draw off with ease and win wrapped up at the wire in a final time of 1:10.97.
Sunday Girl preserved place honors by 1 1/4 lengths over Lucille Ball with My Lil Punky completing the order of finish.
On Command was scratched due to a foot abscess per trainer Amelia Green. Out-of-town shippers Hold Your Breath and Alani were also scratched.
Rice said she was content to see With the Angels sitting off the early pace.
"We had talked about there being quite a bit of speed in the race and maybe we would be sitting third or even last and we were fine with that,” Rice said. “She breaks well enough to go to the lead, but I prefer her to have a target to run at. It looked like they were pretty far off the rail, and they were carrying her wide, and Jose said he just had to go. She really sprinted home. I was really pleased with that effort.”
Lezcano, who was aboard for the last-out optional claiming win, said With the Angels was in prime position throughout.
"She broke very sharp,” Lezcano said. “I was outside. I was able to sit the whole way. When I asked, she really changed leads and ran them down and took off pretty good. She won very good today.”
Rice added With the Angels is likely to target the seven-furlong Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff on April 4 at the Big, a race she has won four times with La Verdad [2014-15], Holiday Disguise [2018] and Mommasgottarun [2023].
"That's our goal,” Rice said. “It’s been a good winter. I’m so happy to get her to the winner’s circle and onto the Grade 3.”
Bred by Joseph DeRico, With the Angels was a $350,000 purchase at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where she worked in 9.4. She is out of the winning Pulpit mare Sister Margaret, who also produced stakes-placed Maggy’s Palace. Her second dam is the multiple stakes-winning Disco Rico mare Dance Gal Dance, who won 6-of-9 starts led by four New York-bred stakes wins.
With the Angels improved her record to 9-7-2-0 and banked $74,250 in victory, raising her total purse earnings to $501,200. She returned $3.82 on a $2 win bet as the 4-5 post-time favorite.
Katie Davis said the David Duggan-trained multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Sunday Girl performed admirably in her first effort since a fourth in the local Garland of Roses on December 7. Davis, who is based in Florida this winter, has ridden Sunday Girl in 12-of-15 starts, but has not been aboard since the state-bred Iroquois in October here.
"I love her. I had not seen her in a bit and she has grown up,” Davis said. “She has matured a lot. We knew that Linda's was the horse to beat. My horse had been off since December, but she ran her race. The surface wasn't to her liking, but she came home nicely. When Lezcano passed her, she kind of tracked him down and picked up her feet more. She is a great mare. She is easy to ride."
Live racing resumes Thursday at the Big A with an eight-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
America's Day at the Races presents live coverage and analysis of every day of the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.
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