Wudda U Think Now holds off Market Alert in Say Florida Sandy

Wudda U Think Now continued his love affair with Aqueduct by recording a hard-earned three-quarter-length victory over pace-prompter Market Alert in Sunday’s $100,000 Say Florida Sandy Stakes for New York breds at Aqueduct.

It was a head back to Bankit, the 6-5 favorite in third. My Boy Tate and Reggae Music Man completed the order of finish.

The win was the ninth from 20 career starts for Wudda U Think Now, his seventh from 11 starts at Aqueduct. He was coming off a 3 1/4-length victory in the Alex M. Robb Stakes on Dec. 17.

Wudda U Think Now has done his best work on the lead and Dylan Davis, riding him for the second straight race, was intent on being there again Sunday. Wudda U Think Now was a half-length in front of Market Alert through a quarter in 22.96 seconds. Market Alert, under Kendrick Carmouche, drew on even terms around the far turn.

Davis kept asking and Wudda U Think Now never yielded the lead, repelling the challenges of Market Alert and Bankit at the wire.

Wudda U Think Now has done his best work on the lead and Dylan Davis, riding him for the second straight race, was intent on being there again Sunday. Wudda U Think Now was a half-length in front of Market Alert through a quarter in 22.96 seconds. Market Alert, under Kendrick Carmouche, drew on even terms around the far turn.

Wudda U Think Now, a 6-year-old gelding by Fast Anna, covered the seven furlongs in 1:24.23 and returned $5.80 to win. He is owned by Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group and trained by Rudy Rodriguez.

“Today we shortened up from the mile, just wanted to be aggressive,” Davis said. “He was able to break well, had Kendrick on my outside pressing the pace, I went into a drive at the half-mile pole – I know he has it for me. I feel like [seven furlongs] is a little short for him but I knew he’d have some more down the stretch. I kept riding and riding and he continued to find more.”