A field of eight three-year-old fillies go in Friday’s $200,000 Comely at Aqueduct.(Photo credit: © George Zilberman | Dreamstime.com)
The Kelly Rubley trained Arrifana ships in from Maryland and looks ready to try stakes company for the first time as the 9-5 favorite in the $200,000 Comely (G3) at Aqueduct on Friday.
The Comely drew a field of eight three-year-old fillies that will go nine furlongs on the main track. The race is one of three stakes on the Friday card.
The co-features at Aqueduct are the $150,000 Gio Ponti at 1 1/16 miles on turf that drew a field of 11 (two which are main track only entrants) and the $150,000 Forever Together for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and upward going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf which drew a field of 11, with three of those MTO’s.
Arrifana is undefeated in four career starts and will be making her stakes debut. Julian Pimentel is her regular rider and they will break from the four post.
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Her main rivals are Bellera (4-1), who lost her jockey last out after winning her previous two starts by a combined 10 ¼ lengths and Gold Standard, who had a three race winning streak snapped last out in a runner up finish in the Remington Park Oaks (G3).
Let’s head out to Aqueduct for Friday’s featured race of the day:
Aqueduct Race 8 The Comely (G3) Post time 3:15 ET
4 Arrifana 9-5
3 Bellera 4-1
2 Gold Standard 2-1
1 Stand for the Flag 6-1
Arrifana
This Maryland shipper is perfect in four starts and makes her stakes debut here and first try at nine furlongs. She made one trip to New York, beating Alw-1 foes at Saratoga three back at seven furlongs. She then rolled over Alw-2 foes at Laurel Park going a one turn mile, then was a game winner versus non-conditioned allowance company in her first start around two turns. She is bred to handle nine furlongs, by Curlin out of the stakes winner Vaulcluse ($95,400) who was undefeated in three career starts and is by A.P. Indy. She owns a solid pace profile throughout and has a couple of recent works at Fair Hill that should have her tight and ready to go in this spot.
Bellera
The Pletcher trainee got squeezed back coming out of the gate, bobbled over a fallen foe and lost the jock last out in the Turnback the Alarm Handicap (G3) in her stakes debut. She wired the field three back to beat Alw-1 foes in the slop at nine furlongs and then missed by just a neck two back at Keeneland versus Alw-2 optional claimers. She sports a pair of works since her last outing and picks up Johnny V. She is the lone runner in the field proven at nine furlongs. The $90,000 purchase is out of a stakes placed Unbridled’s Song mare that has dropped five other winners, top earner Transparent ($416,809).
Gold Standard
The filly had a three race winning streak snapped last out in the Remington Park Oaks (G3) in her stakes debut. The filly prompted the early pace while in between foes in the four horse field, grabbed a short lead heading down the backstretch and battled on in the stretch, coming up a half length short as the beaten chalk. She was 7 ¾ lengths clear of third place finisher Classic Fit. She broke her maiden in the slop in a race taken off the turf and then passed her first two allowance conditions, winning those three races by a combined 19 lengths. She owns solid early and mid pace numbers and she may actually end up going off as the favorite.
Wagering:
WIN: Arrifina to win at 9-5 or better.
EXACTA: 3,4 / 1,2,3,4
TRIFECTA: 3,4 / 1,2,3,4 / 1,2,3,4,8
