Cavorting meets familiar faces in Distaff

Scratched last week from the Madison (G1) at Keeneland, where she would have faced two Breeders' Cup winners and Grade 1 heroine Sheer Drama, Cavorting will instead make her season debut against a pair of familiar foes in Sunday's $200,000 Distaff H. (G3) at Aqueduct.

Indeed, the Distaff has come up very much like the Test (G1) at Saratoga last summer, which Cavorting won by 2 1/2 lengths over returning rivals Bar of Gold and By the Moon. Cavorting went on to beat Bar of Gold again in the Prioress (G2), but endured a wide trip as the beaten favorite in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) and finished out the season with a third in the La Brea (G1) at Santa Anita.

The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained filly was withdrawn from the Madison after drawing post 1 in a field of 14. For Sunday's seven-furlong dash, Cavorting breaks from post 4 in a field of seven.

Bar of Gold, easily turned back in both the Test and Prioress, occupied the runner-up slot in the Raven Run (G2) as well before calling it a season. The John Kimmel charge kicked off her four-year-old campaign on a down note, though, weakening to sixth in a modest renewal of the Inside Information (G2) at Gulfstream March 19.

By the Moon, the 2014 Frizette (G1) winner, is also looking to snap a losing streak. After taking the $100,000 Caesar's Wish at Laurel last March, the daughter of Indian Charlie was upset in the $75,000 Parx Oaks but missed by only a neck in the Acorn next out. He third-place effort in the Test was her most recent outing.

Looking to upset the top three is Grade 2 veteran Paulasilverlining, who was upset as the odds-on choice in the $125,000 Correction last month.

(NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)