My Mane Squeeze scores in sophomore debut, taking the Franklin Square at Aqueduct. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

My Mane Squeeze solidified her credentials as one of the best New York-bred 2-year-old fillies in last season’s Maid of the Mist Stakes on Empire Showcase Day. A little more than two months later Buck Butler’s homebred daughter of Audible showed she’ll be plenty tough as a 3-year-old with a comeback victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Franklin Square Stakes at Aqueduct.

Off since the Oct. 29 Maid of the Mist at 1 mile, My Mane Squeeze returned with a 1 1/4-length victory over Bernietakescharge in the 6 1/2-furlong Franklin Square under Jose Lezcano. My Mane Squeeze won in 1:18.76 and gave Lezcano his third win on the card.

“I was jumping up and down and I’m not sure I saw it all,” Butler said. “I can’t say a whole hell of a lot except I love it and I’m praying that from what I’ve seen from her, it’s not the bottom of her yet. I’ve got my fingers crossed.”

The 8-5 favorite in the field of six reduced by the scratches of Soloshot and Unicorn Cake, My Mane Squeeze raced fifth early as Flight Control and Cara’s Time battled early and through the opening quarter in :22.63 over the fast track.

Lezcano guided My Mane Squeeze into third and outside of Bernietakescharge around the far turn as Flight Control continued to lead to the half in :46.76. My Mane Squeeze turned into the stretch at least five paths off the fence, engaged Bernietakescharge outside the eighth pole and eventually wore that rival down inside the final sixteenth for her third win in five starts. The first two finished well clear of the field, with 7-2 third choice Tricky Temper 10 1/4 lengths back in third. Flight Control finished fourth as Sweet Brown Sugar and Cara’s Time completed the field.

“She broke very good and I got a chance to put her outside in the clear,” Lezcano said. “She traveled very comfortable. In the stretch, I asked her to go on and she gave me what she’s got. …I was feeling good. In the clear, she jumped on the bridle and was galloping pretty nice. When I really had to ask her, I had plenty of horse and plenty of gas in the tank.”

My Mane Squeeze started her career with a third and a victory in maiden races at Saratoga Race Course, before a third in the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes in late September during the Belmont at the Big A meeting. She improved off that effort to win the Maid of the Mist by 3 lengths over Cara’s Time and Calwell Luvs Gold.

Maker and Butler gave My Mane Squeeze a short freshener after that victory and set sights on a sophomore campaign for the bay filly.

My Mane Squeezed breezed seven times on the Belmont training track for her return, including a bullet half in :48.25 Dec. 12 and a 3-furlong tightener in :38.21 three days before the Franklin Square. She pocketed $55,000 for the Franklin Square to boost her bankroll to $238.960.

Foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, My Mane Squeeze is the fourth foal out of Butler’s Speightstown mare In Spite of Mama.

In Spite of Mama is also the dam of multiple stakes winner and $527,955-earner Rotknee, stakes-placed winner and $170,220-earner Lookin for Trouble, four-time winner and $166,181-earner Mama’s Gold and an unnamed 2-year-old filly by War of Will. In Spite of Mama is also the dam of a New York-bred yearling colt by Runhappy and was bred by popular young New York sire Honest Mischief in 2023.

Bold Journey, a half brother to New York-bred Horse of the Year Americanrevolution, wins second straight stakes in Saturday’s Gravesend at Aqueduct. Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.

Bold Journey loves Aqueduct. Like, really loves it.

The 4-year-old son of Hard Spun has made 14 of his 20 starts at Aqueduct – not really his decision mind you – and six of his seven wins have come at the Big A. That’s entirely up to the chestnut colt, who collected his latest score in Saturday’s $145,500 Gravesend Stakes.

Bold Journey, a half-brother to New York-bred Horse of the Year Americanrevolution, added the Gravesend to his victory a month ago in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap. Bold Journey won the latter by a length over Durante with fellow New York-bred Rotknee third, and topped Rotknee by 4 1/2 lengths in the Gravesend with 4-5 favorite Durante third.

Jockey Eric Cancel, who returned from injury in late October, returned on Bold Journey for the first time since June when he won that one time away from Aqueduct going 6 furlongs on the turf.

“He broke very sharp. He usually sits back early in the race,” Cancel said. “I just let him get comfortable and once I asked him, he knew what he needed to do. He just engaged and from there on that was it.

“He was very explosive. As soon as I asked him, he didn’t hesitate. He didn’t take a while like he usually does. He just exploded and from there on I just had to hang on tight.”

Bold Journey, who won the 6-furlong Gravesend in 1:09.46 over the drying out track labeled muddy, improved to 7-for-20 and collected $82,500 to boost his bankroll to $568,743 for trainer Bill Mott and owners Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber.

The 3-1 third choice in the field of five, Bold Journey raced fourth early as 5-2 second choice Rotknee blazed through the opening quarter mile in :21.94. Durante and Stage Left took up the chase up the backstretch, with Bold Journey 8 1/4 lengths back in fourth.

Bold Journey inched within 6 lengths around the far turn and to the quarter-pole, with Rotknee still in front after a half in :44.95.

Cancel guided Bold Journey to the inside of Durante in the stretch, passed that foe outside the eighth pole and set his sights on the leader approaching the sixteenth pole. Bold Journey accelerated from there and widened his advantage with every stride to the wire. Rotknee held second for the New York-bred exacta, a nose in front of Durante, who has a head clear of Stage Left. Greeley and Ben completed the field.

“He broke a step behind and broke out,” said Jose Lezcano, who rode Rotknee. “After that, I sent a little bit and he jumped in the bridle and went on. That’s the way he wants to run. The winner can run – can’t take nothing away from him. My horse gave me what he’s got. He ran his best.”

Bred by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Bold Journey is one of three winners out of the winning Super Saver mare Polly Freeze. Named New York-bred broodmare of the year in 2021, Polly Freeze produced the Kentucky-bred Wicked Strong mare Text Dont Call, won two of 16 starts and earned $42,109.

Americanrevolution, a son of Constitution and Polly Freeze’s second foal, earned New York-bred Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old honors in 2021 after a 5-for-6 season highlighted by victories in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap, Empire Classic Handicap and Albany Stakes. He recently retired to stand his first season in 2024 at Rockridge Stud in Hudson.

Polly Freeze’s fourth foal, the 3-year-old Collected filly Paleta, sold for $60,000 as a broodmare prospect at this year’s Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Polly Freeze is also the dam of a yearling filly by Frosted that sold for $150,000 at the Keeneland September sale and a weanling colt by Constitution born March 18.

A $75,000 RNA at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale, Bold Journey later sold for $80,000 to McMahon & Hill Bloodstock, agent, at the 2021 OBS April sale. He won one of two starts at 2 before a second in the Gander Stakes in February 2022. Ninth in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes that March, Bold Journey didn’t return to stakes company until this past April when fifth in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets at Aqueduct.

Bold Journey has won four of seven starts since the Carter, including three straight over the Aqueduct main track.

Dr Ardito scores third stakes victory of 2023 in Friday’s Alex M. Robb at Aqueduct. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

Chad Brown marveled at Dr Ardito’s propensity for finding the winner’s circle this past fall from his barn office on Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma Training Track.

“He knows how to win, that horse,” Brown said, a few days before Dr Ardito didn’t win on a sloppy track in the Parx Dirt Mile and the start of a three-race losing skid.

Dr Ardito returned to his winning ways and ended the schneid just before the end of 2023 Friday with a typically gritty come-from-behind victory over stablemate Aggregation in the $96,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes at Aqueduct. The 5-year-old son of Liam’s Map won the 1-mile Robb by a half-length under Manny Franco, improving to 4-for-9 on the season for Brown and owners Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso.

Sent off as the 8-5 favorite in the field of five, Dr Ardito won in his return to New York-bred stakes company after finishing sixth in the Parx Dirt Mile, second in the Grade 2 Forty Niner Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A meet and seventh in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct in his last three starts. Dr Ardito won the Evan Shipman Handicap – also against New York-breds Aug. 11 at Saratoga before that three-race foray into open company.

Franco, aboard for all but one of Dr Ardito’s 13 prior starts, knew what to expect from the field and the 6-5 favorite Aggregation. He rode that Flatter gelding in his last two, both victories in 1-mile events.

“I know that probably I was going to have some pace in front – the other horse for Chad, and I thought Barese going a mile today was going to be on the pace,” Franco said. “That’s what I expected – a good pace in front of me and just come with my run late.

“I know they were going a pretty good pace in front because my horse was there, but then he tucked back a little bit. I knew they were rolling along, so I just bided my time, cut the corner and when I get in the clear, he started running again.”

Dr Ardito raced 6 1/2 lengths back through the opening half-mile, clicked off in a sharp :45.34 by Aggregation.

Aggregation and jockey Kendrick Carmouche still led to the top of the stretch and past 6 furlongs in 1:09.99, with Barese and General Banker chasing in second and third with Dr Ardito still 4 1/2 lengths behind. Aggregation’s 3-length advantage in midstretch looked in serious jeopardy with Dr Ardito closing well on the outside.

Dr Ardito caught his stablemate in the final 50 yards and edged clear to win in 1:36.18 over the muddy and sealed track. Barese finished another 4 1/2 lengths back in third with General Banker fourth and Curlin’s Wisdom fifth.

“He ran his race,” Carmouche said of Aggregation. “I felt I held [Dr Ardito] off pretty good until he got me in the last couple jumps. [Dr Ardito] was the best horse in the race, we just didn’t know if he could catch up with us late, but he did.

“We tried to make every pole a winning pole, but I got pressed early and that caved him in a little. He was very tired and by the time I got to the three-quarter [pole], I knew I was running out of horse. But, he ran awesome and was second best.”

Named for Dubb’s close friend and physician, Dr. Anthony Ardito, Dr Ardito was bred by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding. He’s out of the winning Indian Charlie mare Delightfully So, who Hertrich purchased for $55,000 as a 3-year-old at the 2013 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale.

Dr Ardito is the third foal out of Delightfully So, who is also the dam of winners Delightof The Nile and Navistar and a 2-year-old filly by Audible who sold for $15,000 at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale. Delightfully So is also the dam of a yearling filly by Volatile that sold for $400,000 at this year’s Keeneland September sale and a weanling colt by Liam’s Map born April 10.

Dubb purchased Dr Ardito for $95,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. After a runner-up finish in his debut in February 2021, Dr Ardito won six straight through February including the Haynesfield Stakes at Aqueduct. He later won the Evan Shipman and the Alex M. Robb marked Dr Ardito’s third stakes victory.

Dr Ardito picked up $55,000 for his win Friday and boosted his bankroll to $496,393 from a record of 8-2-0 in 14 starts.