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Cave's Valley heads Whirlaway Multiple stakes winner CAVE'S VALLEY (Stephen Got Even) will kick off his three-year-old season in Saturday's $100,000 Whirlaway S. at Aqueduct. An easy victor in the Dover S. at Delaware Park two starts back, the Florida-bred colt suffered his first career defeat when finishing seventh in the Delta Jackpot S. (G3) at Delta Downs on December 7. Based at Laurel Park with Michael Trombetta, Cave's Valley worked over the inner track on Tuesday in preparation for the 1 1/16-mile Whirlaway, and the dark bay colt will face six challengers with jockey Mario Pino. Todd Pletcher will send out an uncoupled pair in SPANKY FISCHBEIN (Hook and Ladder) and TEXAS WILDCATTER (Monarchos). The New York-bred Spanky Fischbein captured the Great White Way division of the New York Stallion S. and finished second in a pair of stakes versus restricted rivals last season. He began this season against open company in the Count Fleet S., recording a good second to the promising Giant Moon (Giant's Causeway). Texas Wildcatter will make his stakes debut following a 10 1/2-length romp over allowance rivals at Philadelphia Park. ROMAN EMPEROR (Empire Maker) will attempt to improve upon his third-place finish as the favorite in the Count Fleet, and the Darley-owned BARRIER REEF (Mizzen Mast), who finished fourth in the Count Fleet, will also return. APPLE SPECIAL (Outflanker) will invade the Big Apple off a 2 3/4-length win in the restricted Maryland Juvenile Championship S. at Laurel Park, and recent Philadelphia Park allowance winner SONIC BOOM (Five Star Day) rounds out the field. In post order, the runners are Roman Emperor, Jeremy Rose, 118; Barrier Reef, Alan Garcia, 116; Cave's Valley, 122; Apple Special, Oliver Castillo, 120; Texas Wildcatter, Norberto Arroyo Jr., 118; Sonic Boom, Carol Cedeno, 118; and Spanky Fischbein, Stewart Elliott, 116.
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