Celebrity News Race Overview

It is a milestone day for Celebrity News tomorrow when she faces eight rivals in Race 5 at Aqueduct in her career debut. There’s always a rush of excitement for owners when their horses reach the races for the first time, particularly when they look well-spotted for a good performance in their first assignment.

Celebrity News, who will be ridden by one of Aqueduct’s top riders, Manny Franco, has been installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the 6 1/2-furlong dirt race for 3-year-old fillies. Post time for the $70,000 New York-bred Maiden Special Weight is 3:23 p.m. ET. She is one of a trio of first-time starters in this wide-open field.

The 3-year-old daughter of the late sire Laoban arrived at the Belmont Park barn of trainer George Weaver earlier this week. The filly had completed all of her serious training at the trainer’s winter headquarters in Florida, Palm Beach Downs, under George’s watchful eye. Tomorrow she will be saddled by his longtime Belmont-based assistant, Blair Golen.

In our prior updates, we have shared that George views Celebrity News as a hearty filly in her training. Although, she doesn’t dazzle with fast times in breezes — not uncommon for some horses, even if they perform brilliantly in the afternoons — she always returns to the barn without showing signs of being drained from the activity. She’s been keeping pace in her works with older, more experienced stablemates who have had the advantage of being raced. Her last work, from the starting gate at Palm Beach Downs, was a solid one, with Celebrity News leaving there promptly and in straight-forward fashion.

George wins at 19% with 3-year-olds and up, first-time starters in dirt sprints over the last five years, according to Daily Racing Form Formulator stats, but is 0-for-21 on the New York Racing Association circuit in that category. Obviously, a win from Celebrity News would be very welcome, but it’s worthwhile to remember that the race experience itself is important, because of the education Celebrity News will gain, regardless of her finish position.

All the work has been done and now it’s time for Celebrity News’ partners to sit back and enjoy Friday’s special occasion. In addition to this written analysis, please enjoy the attached video analysis of the race with Nick Hines and our East Coast Racing Manager Harry Rice.

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About the Competition (in post position order):

No Chalk (8-1) is a first-time starter who is shipping in from Penn National and has some decent works for this assignment. She is by a sire (Tapiture) who wins at an above average 15% with his horses on debut, and each of her dam’s three foals to race are winners, including one who won first out. Trainer Sal Iorio Jr. is 2 for 19 over the last five years with his debut runners on the dirt. Bonus is that No Chalk gets the services of one of Aqueduct’s leading riders, Trevor McCarthy.

Capital Gal (9-2) is another first-time starter for trainer George Weaver and she has been training forwardly in New York this winter. Sire Constitution does very well with his debut progeny who win at 17% and this filly’s dam, a half-sister to a multiple stakes winner, was a winner first out in Saratoga.

Big Bean Christine (8-1) closed from last to finish second at this level last out in her fifth career start. The track had moisture in it that day. Tomorrow’s surface should be fast by post time, following tonight’s rain. Looks like an unlikely winner, but certainly could get up for a piece of it.

Frosty Invasion (12-1) hasn’t dazzled yet in three starts. She did show early speed two races back at one mile while finishing second to a next-out winner in state-bred claiming race. Her most recent start, in the MSW ranks, yielded a fifth-place finish. She would need to really step up here to be impactful

Flattery’s Music (4-1) makes her first start since July following a fourth-place effort on the turf. Trainer Linda Rice has entered the filly a couple of times this winter only for her to be scratched, including a vet scratch on Feb. 19th from a $25,000 claimer. With other attractive runners in here, this filly looks like a pass to break her maiden at what may be a short price.

Tonight We Love (10-1) gets blinkers on for her fifth-career start. She has already shown tactical speed in three of her races and with the addition of blinkers, probably will be gunning for the lead. Interesting to note that each of her races have come on wet tracks. Will be curious to see what she is capable of on a dry surface.

One Track Mine (12-1) is making her second start off the layoff after finishing seventh in her return against older fillies and mares on March 11th. Worth noting that Manny Franco, who rode her that day, jumps ship in favor of Celebrity News. Figures to improve with a race under her belt, but not likely to graduate here.

Costanti (5-1) ran decently to finish third at this level in her last start while favored as part of an entry with her stablemate who attracted the money and got the victory. If Costanti can move forward off of that effort, she is definitely a contender for winner’s honors here.