Kathleen O., who endured her first career loss in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) last May, returns to action in the $175,000 Comely S. (G3), one of three stakes on Aqueduct’s Black Friday program.
Trained by Shug McGaughey, Kathleen O. entered the Oaks undefeated from four starts. After a narrow maiden win at Aqueduct last November, Kathleen O. reeled off three consecutive stakes at Gulfstream Park, including Grade 2 triumphs in the Gulfstream Park Oaks and Davona Dale. However, a slow break proved costly in the Kentucky Oaks with Kathleen O. finishing fifth, four lengths behind Secret Oath.
“She didn’t get the best of breaks. She got in a little trouble and didn’t get to run our race that day,” McGaughey said.
Contested over nine furlongs on the main track for three-year-old fillies, the Comely has come up competitive. Nostalgic won the track-and-distance Gazelle (G3) last April, though she was subsequently no factor in the Kentucky Oaks nor in several other graded stakes over the summer. However, the Bill Mott trainee perked up on the return to the Big A earlier this month, missing by a neck against older rivals in the Turnback the Alarm H. (G3).
Morning Matcha ran a surprisingly strong race in the Cotillion (G1) last out, finishing second at odds of 48-1 while splitting the winning Society and the aforementioned Secret Oath. The lightly-raced Falconet has a pair of stakes placings to her credit, including the Iowa Oaks (G3), while Tizzy in the Sky enters off two blowout wins against overnight foes at Aqueduct.
Temple City Terror, who sold for $600,000 at the Keeneland November Sale earlier this month, will seek her third stakes win of the year in the $300,000 Long Island S. (G3) for fillies and mares over 1 3/8 miles on the turf.
Temple City Terror most recently made up a 10-length deficit to win the Dowager (G3) at Keeneland by three lengths. She also ran one of her better races this summer in the Glens Falls (G2) at Saratoga, finishing second to War Like Goddess and ahead of subsequent Flower Bowl (G2) winner Virginia Joy.
Chad Brown will saddle half of the six-horse field in the Long Island. Rocky Star and Capital Structure ran one-two in the Oct. 2 Waya (G3), while German import Kalifornia Queen has placed in four consecutive graded stakes.
The $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship at six furlongs has attracted a full field. Dancing Buck, who has won three of four over the local sod, recently landed the Belmont Turf Sprint (G3) by five lengths, while Lucky Coin S. winner Thin White Duke rebounded from a fifth-place effort in the same event to win a second-level allowance over the course and distance.
Others that might receive support in a competitive lineup include Voodoo Zip, Bad Beat Brian, Nothing Better, Chewing Gum, and Gear Jockey.
