The Spa Spot: Morning Breeze
The first of two Party at the Spa twilight programs will be held today. First post for the nine-race program - the first time NYRA has run just nine this season - is 2:30 p.m. The gates open at 12 noon.
- The fourth running of the $100,000 Curlin for 3-year-olds is the feature race and is scheduled for 6:22 p.m. Three Hall of Fame trainers, Jonathan Sheppard with Ever So Lucky; Shug McGaughey, Reload and Nick Zito, Easter Gift, are players in this 1 1/8 miles race that could produce some Travers runners. The likely favorite is Street Life, trained by Mechanicville native Chad Brown. Street Life was third in the Grade 2 Peter Pan and fourth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes.
- Immediately following the running of the Curlin, owner Barbara Banke will announce the name of Rachel Alexandra's first foal. The names were submitted by fans. The colt out of a Horse of the Year is by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin
- Hessonite beat males in a New York Stallion Series at the Spa last summer and returns to face New York-bred fillies and mares in the $100,000 Irish Linnet, the sixth race of the day. Hessonite is a pretty consistent runner and probably will be favored in this full field of 13 runners that includes the very capable Opus A. Irish Linnet, trained by Leo O'Brien, won the Yaddo Handicap five years in a row.
- NYRA tees up a couple of maiden races today. Darley's Centring looms over a field
of older fillies and mares in the third race. Seven 2-year-old colts tangle in the fourth.