Fade to Grey looks to take win streak to three in Listed Top Flight

WLIR Racing Stables’ Fade to Grey has won back-to-back local races and will try to make it three straight in Saturday’s Listed $150,000 Top Flight, a nine-furlong test for older fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Palace Malice gray enters her first stakes attempt from a pair of pacesetting optional claiming scores here. Over nine furlongs of muddy and sealed footing in February, Fade to Grey held off Points Is Points to win by a nose ahead of a last-out two-length victory in a one-turn mile in March.

The performances earned a career-best 93 and 92 Beyer Speed Figure, respectively, much higher than her previous four local optional claiming efforts where she was unable to grab the early lead. 
 
“She is solid. She seems to handle the mile and an eighth fine,” said Pletcher. “This is some important black type for her, if we can accomplish that. I think she is versatile enough, but she wouldn’t mind getting loose on the lead either.” 

Fade to Grey’s other win came second-out when setting the pace in a nine-furlong maiden special weight in July at Saratoga Race Course. She had previously debuted on turf at Belmont at the Big A before adding blinkers for her victorious switch to dirt. 

Pletcher looks for his third consecutive Top Flight victory following Falconet [2023] and Tizzy in the Sky [2024], with his record six scores also including Mini Sermon [2007], Leah’s Secret [2008], Teen Pauline [2014] and Another Broad [2019].

Regular rider Kendrick Carmouche, who earned his 4,000th career win while riding Crimson Light for Pletcher on Saturday, will be aboard from post 5. 

Five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown sends out Klaravich Stables’ Headline Numbers [post 4, Dylan Davis], who became stakes-placed last out with a second in the 1 1/16-mile Nellie Morse on February 15 at Laurel Park. That race’s winner, Sea Dancer, finished fourth in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Distaff here. 

Headline Numbers made a grand debut here on July 4 when romping by 11 3/4 lengths and earning an 85 Beyer. She was elevated to first in her next start going nine furlongs at Saratoga Race Course and looks for her first win in her fourth start since, namely missing the board in the local nine-furlong Grade 2 Mother Goose in October.

“After she debuted and won, we had quite high hopes for her. She’s been a bit disappointing, she hasn’t really broken through and become the horse we thought she would,” Brown said. “She trains far better than she’s been running. She’s had success at Aqueduct as well. We’ll see if she can step up to match her works.” 

Of the nine furlong distance, Brown said, “It’d probably be her limit, but I guess race dynamics will play a part in seeing if she can get the distance.” 

Brown also enters Catherine Wheel [post 2, Eric Cancel] for her first stakes attempt off a nose victory in a one-mile optional claimer on March 15 here. The 4-year-old Into Mischief bay earned a career-best 86 Beyer in the rallying victory and maintained a perfect on-the-board record in six outings – her longest race being one-mile. 

“A solid progression. We’ve never been able to get her out this far. I think she does want to go this far,” said Brown. “There’s just been interruptions in her campaign, so I’ve never been able to get her out this far. So we are going to see and cross-enter her in a race at Laurel as well.” 

Catherine Wheel cross-entered the one-mile $100,000 Heavenly Cause on Saturday at Laurel Park.  

Out of the Smart Strike mare Succeeding, Catherine Wheel was a $725,000 purchase at the 2023 OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. Her third dam, Teeming, is a half-sister to 2006-2007 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes-winning Jazil and filly Rags to Riches. 

Catherine Wheel is campaigned by Richard Schermerhorn, Team Hanley, Thirty Year Farm, Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. and Stretch Run Ventures.

Full of Run Racing Two and Madaket Stables’ Alpine Princess [post 1, Florent Geroux] finished fourth to reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna last out in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Azeri on March 8 at Oaklawn Park. 

Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the 4-year-old Classic Empire bay entered from close Grade 3 seconds in the nine-furlong Comely in November here and the 1 1/16-mile Houston Ladies Classic in January at Sam Houston Race Park. 

Alpine Princess’ career-best Beyer came in September in the 1 1/16-mile Listed Remington Park Oaks, where she won by 9 3/4 lengths and earned a field-best 96. She also captured the one-mile and 70-yards Untapable as a juvenile at Churchill Downs. 

Lucky Hat Racing’s New York-bred Elliptic [post 3, Christopher Elliott] steps up in class after an encouraging one-mile optional claiming score versus fellow state-breds on March 15 here. Trained by Amelia Green, the 5-year-old Arrogate bay was bumped hard at the break, advancing with purpose early en route to a 5 1/2-length victory, which earned an 80 Beyer.   

The now five-time winning Elliptic, bred in the Empire State by Stable 63, was claimed out of a local third at seven furlongs in January. She will look to go from claim-to-fame as Green’s first stakes starter. The conditioner went out on her own late last year after over seven years as an assistant and exercise rider to Pletcher. 

Rounding out the field is last-out maiden winner Miss Spitfire [post 6, Romero Maragh] for trainer Fernando Abreu. The 4-year-old The Factor gray heads north following the one-mile and 70-yard Tapeta score in her third career start at Gulfstream Park. 

The Top Flight is slated as Race 7 on Saturday’s nine-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. 

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack spring 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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