Aqueduct Notes (Fantasy Version)

Last month, I noted that David Jacobsen had claimed Papi Chullo for 16K, and offered that there's no limit to how cheaply we could conceivably see him run in the future. Well, the answer is 10K, for which he ran, and not very well, as the 2-1 favorite in the 5th at the Big A on Sunday. I'm sure that trainer Joe Imperio is just thrilled after claiming Papi Chullo off his 9th place finish which earned the succinct and dreaded chart notation failed to menace. (Gary Contessa and Scott Lake also lost horses, and, based on their being placed at this level, I imagine they were just as happy to have done so.)

Northern Buster ($87.50), benefiting from a nice trip behind the two leaders, had enough to come back against Gift of Valor after that one looked home free after an incredible wide rally from far back. The winner was one of two bombshells on the day who had last raced at Finger Lakes; Undocumented ($66) took the 9th. This in addition to FL shipper Zip Of Fools ($16.80) on Saturday. Yet Again ($79) won here on Dec 10, also for Undocumented's trainer Karl Grusmark, though he'd had a prior race at Aqueduct. So I guess we need to give those FL guys some respect.

Two nice price winners from Asmussen, who now has a record of 13-7-2-0 on the inner track. That's right, 54%. In the third, Pu Dew ($21.20) had been claimed by the barn for owner Maggi Moss for 30K last May. That was his last appearance before Sunday. Excuse the redboarding, as I didn't look at the races beforehand - but you had to like the way he was moved up in class despite the time off. And Asmussen hits at 27% over the last five years with horses first off the claim.

The barn then took the state-bred Alex M. Robb Handicap with R Clear Victory ($23.80) (with South Fourth St., a former Finger Lakes horse in his second appearance here, second for Contessa at 14-1). The winner is one of eight stakes winners this year for the Belmont winner Victory Gallop, plying his trade in Turkey these days.

And West Point made its partners happy with a first-out romp by Mr. Fantasy, a two-year old NY-bred son of E Dubai on which the outfit spent $230,000 this past May. He's a half-brother to two other state-bred stakes winners, including the G2 Indiana Derby winner Tim Cup Chalice. I imagine that at least some of the partners are fantasizing about Derby glory, and that West Point does absolutely nothing to discourage that! This is all worth a little musical interlude.