NEWS
Stud Muffin makes graded debut in Stuyvesant
Posted: Thursday, November 13, 2008 5:52 PM
STUD MUFFIN
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
by Ron Parker
Trainer David Duggan had high hopes for Stud Muffin when he claimed the colt for $35,000 on March 13 for Louis Zito.
On Saturday, the Raffie’s Majesty colt will make his graded stakes debut in the $100,000 Stuyvesant Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct.
Stud Muffin enters off a victory in the Empire Classic Handicap at Belmont Park on October 18 for owners Zito, John Crean, and James Romanelli. The four-year-old colt earned his first stakes win in the Noble Nashua Stakes on May 30 at Belmont.
Stud Muffin also placed this year in two stakes races at Saratoga Race Course. He finished second in the Solomon Northup Stakes on August 9 and finished third in the Loudonville Stakes on September 1.
“He’s a much different horse,” Duggan said. “He had run some very good races when we claimed him, and we really thought we were getting a turf horse because he has a tremendous stride on him. He was a bit of an unlucky horse in his two races at Saratoga. He steadied in one and was stuck down inside in another. But he always kept running at the end.”
Among Stud Muffin’s seven challengers in the 1 1/18-mile Stuyvesant is Fox Hill Farms’s Solar Flare (Arg), a runner-up to Frost Giant in the Suburban Handicap (G1) at Belmont on June 28. Solar Flare subsequently finished seventh to Commentator in the Whitney Handicap (G1) on July 26 at Saratoga prior to finishing third on a sloppy track in the DTHA Owners’ Day Handicap on September 6 at Delaware Park.
Solar Flare won an allowance/optional claiming race in his previous start on October 27 at Meadowlands.
“He had sprained an ankle at Saratoga and we might have run back a little too soon at Delaware,” trainer Larry Jones said. “He re-aggravated his ankle in the slop, so we decided to give him a little break and let him get over that. He’s been training very well and that race at the Meadowlands was just the right prep we were looking for this race. It wasn’t too taxing and he should be tight enough for this race.”
Michael Tabor’s and Derrick Smith’s Ravel is winless in three starts this year but may enjoy some class relief in his first start at Aqueduct after finishing fifth to reigning Horse of the Year Curlin in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at Belmont on September 27.
Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer
The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:
1. Phil the Power (Red Bullet), Eibar Coa, 115, Joseph F. Orseno;
2. Stud Muffin (Raffie's Majesty), Alan Garcia, 114, David P. Duggan;
3. Helsinki (Distorted Humor), Cornelio H. Velasquez, 115, John P. Terranova, II;
4. Brilliant Son (Stormin Fever), Rajiv Maragh, 114, Kiaran P. McLaughlin;
5. Solar Flare [ARG] (Salt Lake), Terry J. Thompson, 116, J. Larry Jones;
6. Ravel (Fusaichi Pegasus), John R. Velazquez, 115, Todd A. Pletcher;
7. Temporary Saint (Awesome Again), Eddie Castro, 115, David Jacobson; and
8. Dry Martini (Slew Gin Fizz), Channing Hill, 116, William H. Turner, Jr.
