Long Island Handicap 2015 at Aqueduct

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 3 Long Island Handicap is on tap for Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. New York on Saturday, November 7. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will be featured when they take to Aqueduct's turf track and race 1 1/2 miles for the winner's share of the $200,000 purse.

A field of 10 plus one Main Track Only Entry will take to the track in the Long Island Handicap - race 8 on Aqueduct's Saturday card. Post time is 3:50 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all 11 combatants for this Grade 3 stakes - six of which come from the barns of Christophe Clement and Chad Brown.

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2015 Long Island Handicap Race Favorites

Danza Cavallo 3-1 - French bred Chad Brown trained filly had three wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 11 career starts at home and has been OK in six starts in North America. She debuted here with a good second in the 2014 Long Island Handicap and followed that with an Allowance score at Keeneland in April. She has failed to place in her last next starts - an eight in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes August 29 followed a tenth in the Fasig-Tipton Waya Stakes August 8 and a fifth in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita in May. She did post a decent result last time out however - a second behind eventual Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Stephanie's Kitten in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont Park October 3. Danza Cavallo had been unflattering before last time out and hopes to build some momentum off that result - from post 3 with Jose Ortiz in the saddle as the tepid morning line favorite.

Mutatis Mutandis 4-1 - Irish bred Ed Walker trained filly made her North American debut October 3 and finished a respectable third behind Stephanie's Kitten and Danza Cavallo in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont Park. At home she recorded just three wins and two seconds in 16 starts. She won two straight races at the beginning of the summer including a stakes race at Nottingham but failed to place in her last three starts before shipping. Mutatis Mutandis looks to build on a decent effort last time out in her second North American debut from gate 8 with John Velazquez in the irons of the morning line second choice.

Long Island Handicap 2015 | Remaining Contenders

Goldy Espony 5-1 - Chad Brown trained filly has six wins, a second and two third place finishes in 13 career starts. She won a Group 3 race at home in France in April, 2014 and has been up and down since. She enters off an ugly ninth in the Grade 3 Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga September 5 and three straight wins - the Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Waya Stakes at Saratoga in August, the minor $100,000 River Memories Stakes in July and an Allowance Optional Claiming in May. She has placed in four of her last five starts overall and has won three of her four 2015 starts. Goldy Espony looks for a bounce back this week when she departs from the rail with Kendrick Carmouche aboard.

Crisolles 5-1 - French bred Christophe Clement trained filly has placed in 10 of 12 career starts - all three North American races. She finished second in the Group 2 Shadwell Prix de la Nonette in August, 2014 and was eleventh in the Group 1 Prix de l'Opera Longines in her last start at home last October. Crisolles has raced three Allowance Optional Claiming races in North America - a win last time out October 6 at Belmont Park followed a third and a second respectively in August at Saratoga. She steps into stakes company for the first time here and looks decent ahead of this weekend. Joel Rosario gets the call from post 9.

Rosalind 6-1 - Chad Brown trained filly has placed in 10 of 18 career starts and enters off a respectable second in the Grade 1 EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine October 18, a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Saratoga August 31, a fifth in the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap in July, a fourth in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes June 6 and a terrific win in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay Stakes May 2. She also won the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes in a dead heat in April, 2014 and did record a third after rallying from 16 lengths back in the 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies but has struggled to find consistency since. Rosalind has placed in just four of her last 11 starts overall and although she's looked great at times this year, she hasn't been great at others. Junior Alvarado has been tabbed with getting Rosalind her second win this year and third victory since April, 2014 when they depart from gate 2.

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Walk Close 8-1 - has 10 career starts for trainer Christophe Clement with four wins and two second place finishes. She enters off a career defining win - in the Grade 3 Modesty Handicap at Arlington July 11. Before that was a third in the minor Keertana Stakes at Churchill Downs in may and two straight off-the-board finishes in graded stakes action. Walk Close has been OK in her career but off a great win last time out has to be in the conversations. Manuel Franco has the mount from gate 10.

Interrupted 12-1 - Graham Motion trained filly has five wins and two third place finishes in nine career starts and enters on the heels of two straight wins - the minor Lady Baltimore Stakes last time out at Laurel Park September 12 and an Allowance Optional Claiming on that track in July. She also won the minor Penn Oaks in 2014 and had a third in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks in 2013. Interrupted has certainly been competitive at times and should be again Saturday. She looks for her third straight win from the outside post 11 with Matthew Rispoli in the irons.

Evidently 15-1 - has just two wins and a third place finish in 14 career starts for trainer Roy Lerman. She won the minor Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff at Tampa Bay Downs in April and finished third in the minor Miss Liberty Stakes at Monmouth Park in May but has failed to place in four starts since. Last time out was a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming October 16 after a fifth in the Grade 3 Glens Falls Stakes in September, a fourth in the Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Waya Stakes in August and a fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming in July. Evidently hasn't been great lately but hopes for a true breakthrough Saturday. Eric Cancel gets the call from gate 4.

Courtesan 20-1 - Started her career in good form for trainer Christophe Clement - a third in the Grade 3 Jessamine Stakes in her third career start was followed by a win in the minor Juvenile Filly Turf Stakes. She hasn't been quite the same since - an OK second last time out in the minor Fasig-Tipton Ladies Marathon at Kentucky Downs September 19 followed a ninth in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dicks Memorial at Delaware Park July 11, a fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming in June and a good win in the minor Keertana Stakes at Churchill Downs in May. Courtesan has placed in just one of her last three starts overall and enters in typically inconsistent form. She looks for her first graded stakes score Saturday from post 7 with Silvestre de Sousa in charge.

Gotachancetodance 20-1 - Todd Pletcher trained filly makes her stakes debut Saturday having posted three wins and two second place finishes in six career starts. Last time out was an Allowance score at Belmont Park October 7 after a second in an Allowance August 19 and two straight wins - a Starter Allowance and Maiden Claiming this past summer. Gotachancetodance has looked good in her career so far but takes an enormous step up in competition from post 5 with Luis Saez guiding her.

Mei Ling 9-5 - Main Track Only Entry Todd Pletcher trained filly made her graded stakes debut last time out and finished eighth in the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes at Keeneland October 4 after consecutive wins - the minor Lighthouse Stakes September 7 at Monmouth Park and an Allowance at Saratoga in August. Before that was a second and a third in Allowance races at Belmont Park early in the summer. Mei Ling didn't look great in her first step up in competition but may try for a better result from gate 6 Saturday.


2015 Long Island Handicap Entries & Odds

Race 8 on Aqueduct's Saturday card with a Post Time of 3:50 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Goldy Espony (FR) Kendrick Carmouche Chad Brown
5-1
2 Rosalind Junior Alvarado Chad Brown
6-1
3 Danza Cavallo (FR) Jose Ortiz Chad Brown
3-1
4 Evidently Eric Cancel Roy Lerman
15-1
5 Gotachancetodance Luis Saez Todd Pletcher
20-1
6 Mei Ling John Velazquez Todd Pletcher
9-5
7 Courtesan Silvestre de Sousa Christophe Clement
20-1
8 Mutatis Mutandis (IRE) John Velazquez Ed Walker
4-1
9 Crisolles (FR) Joel Rosario Christophe Clement
5-1
10 Walk Close Manuel Franco Christophe Clement
8-1
11 Interrupted Matthew Rispoli H. Motion
12-1