Brian Skirka
NYRA/Aqueduct Racetrack

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In 2004, a 3-year-old named Smarty Jones shipped from Philadelphia Park to Aqueduct Racetrack to win the Count Fleet Stakes.  Four months later, he won the Kentucky Derby.

In 2009, a New York-bred named Haynesfield won the Count Fleet in his first start against open company.  The Speightstown colt went on to win the $100,000 Whirlaway in his next start and added victories in the $250,000 Empire Classic and Grade 3 Discovery later in the year.

On Saturday, a field of eight 3-year-olds will try to use the one mile and 70 yard Count Fleet as a springboard to the more-lucrative Triple Crown preps this spring.

The field is headed by Anstu Stables’ multiple New York-bred stakes winner Ibboyee, most recently victorious in the Damon Runyon over the inner track.

“We think the timing is perfect to try open company with him,” said Jonathan Thomas, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher.  “I think facing open company was inevitable anyway.  He came out of his last race in good shape and has been training well.”

In terms of what level of competition he’ll face in the future, Thomas said no decision has been made about Ibboyee past the Count Fleet.

“We’ll have to see how he runs on Saturday – how he comes out of the race – and go from there,” he said.

Ramon Dominguez, aboard for two of Ibboyee’s four career wins, will be back aboard on Saturday.

A pair of Penn National-based horses will ship to Aqueduct for the Count Fleet, including Philip Messina’s Peppi Knows, runner-up in the Grade 2 Remsen on Nov. 28 behind Buddy’s Saint.  Prior to that race, the son of Stephen Got Even won the Finger Lakes Juvenile.

Peppi Knows will be ridden by regular rider Luis Belmonte.

Sylmar Farm’s Turbo Speed enters the Count Fleet undefeated after taking the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes last out at PhillyPark.  In his first two starts, the Louis Quatorze colt broke his maiden and took a first-level allowance race in dominant fashion at Penn National.

David Cora, aboard for all three of Turbo Speed’s lifetime starts, maintains the mount on Saturday.

Completing the field for the Count Fleet are Fox Hill Farm’s Laus Deo, Repole Stable’s Run to
Grand Ave., Agnes Peace’s Worth a Buck, Cash is King Stable’s Afleet Again and Phillip L. Capuano’s Our Commander.

The field for the $65,000 Count Fleet: Laus Deo (6-1), D Cohen; Ibboyee (8-5), R A Dominguez; Run to Grand Ave. (8-1), J Castellano; Peppi Knows (5-1), L A Belmonte; Turbo Speed (7-2), D Cora; Worth a Buck (15-1), A Garcia; Afleet Again (15-1), A S Arroyo; and Our Commander (10-1), A R Napravnik.