Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 3 Top Flight Handicap comes our way this Saturday, March 2 from Aqueduct Race Track. Fillies and mare three years old and upward will be featured in this 1 1/16 mile race as the entries chase their share of the $200,000 purse on Aqueduct's dirt track.

A strong field of eight females have been confirmed for the Top Flight - race 7 on Aqueduct's busy Saturday schedule. Post time is 3:38 PM. Let's take a brief glance into the past performances of all eight combatants for this Grade 3 race.

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2013 Top Flight Handicap Race Favorites

Sunny Desert - enters the Top Flight by far the hottest entry in the field - six straight wins including the minor Cat Cay Stakes last time out here January 6, the New York Stallion Series Stakes in November and the Judy Soda Stakes in September. She has six wins and three seconds in 11 career starts but hasn't tasted defeat in over a year!

Summer Applause - is the only other graded stakes winner in the field that has recorded three wins, two seconds and a fourth place finish the last while. Last time out Summer Applause finished sixth in the inaugural Houston Ladies Classic Stakes at Sam Houston January 26 after a fourth in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, a second in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks and a win in the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes last February 25. She makes her first start for new trainer Chad Brown Saturday.

Top Flight Handicap 2013 | Remaining Field Entries

Withgreatpleasure - had runner-up finishes in four straight minor stakes races including the Affectionately Stakes at Aqueduct January 26 and the Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes behind Onepointhreekarats December 22. Last time out she broke that streak with an OK third in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie. She has just five wins in 28 career starts with 11 seconds and three third place finishes.

Twice the Lady - won the minor Affectionately Stakes last time out on this track for trainer Anthony Dutrow after four prior Allowance Optional Claiming starts generated a win, a second and a third place finish. She has 20 career starts with six wins, six seconds and three third place finishes. Saturday marks just her second graded stakes start - the first was a fourth in the Grade 2 Bed o' Roses Handicap in July.

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Lady Gracenote - has a staggering 35 career starts but has yet to race in graded stakes company. She race 12 times in 2012 and had two wins, a second and three third place finishes - all on this track and all in Allowance or minor stakes action. Last time out was a nice win in an Allowance Optional Claiming here January 31.

Natalie Victoria - races in stakes company for the first time Saturday after 22 career starts yielded five wins, four seconds and six third place finishes. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score here February 16 after a sixth in a Claiming on this track January 18 and a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming here in November. She has won two of her last five starts but takes a huge step up in competition for the Top Flight Handicap.

Royal Lahaina - has yet to race in stakes company in her 18 career starts but is coming off two straight Allowance Optional Claiming scores here - the last being February 15 and the other coming December 14. She has four wins, four seconds and two third place finishes in her 18 career starts.

Sisterly Love - Only has four career starts - two Allowance scores at Gulfstream and a MSW win at Calder October 27 were followed by an OK third last time out in her stakes debut - the Houston Ladies Classic Stakes January 26.


2013 Top Flight Handicap Entries & Odds

Race 7 on Aqueduct Racetrack's Saturday card with a Post Time of 3:38 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Twice the Lady C. Velasquez A. Dutrow
5-1
2 Lady Gracenote I. Ortiz, Jr. J. Servis
30-1
3 Sunny Desert J. Rosario J. Parisella
3-1
4 Summer Applause J. Velazquez C. Brown
5-2
5 Natalie Victoria J. Davis G. Gullo
30-1
6 Royal Lahaina J. Ortiz R. Rodriguez
8-1
7 Withgreatpleasure T. Dunkelberger D. Nunn
8-1
8 Sisterly Love D. Cohen M. Casse
3-1