The landscape of the New York turf season shifted significantly on Friday afternoon at Aqueduct Racetrack as the high-class filly And One More Time, a daughter of the burgeoning sire Omaha Beach, secured a gritty gate-to-wire victory in the $150,000 Plenty of Grace Stakes. Carrying the colors of the prestigious Live Oak Plantation, the four-year-old showcased both the speed that made her a Grade 1 winner as a juvenile and the tenacity required to withstand a pressurized stretch run and a subsequent, lengthy steward’s inquiry. Under the expert guidance of Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, And One More Time reminded the racing world why she was once considered among the elite of her generation, stopping the clock in 1:36.68 for the one-mile journey over a firm outer turf course.
The victory was far from a simple procession. While the betting public installed the Mark Casse trainee as the even-money favorite, the race was defined by early physical contact and tactical maneuvering that nearly saw the result overturned in the steward’s room. However, the official confirmation of her victory marked a vital return to the winner’s circle for a filly who had faced a challenging stretch of form since her breakthrough victory in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes in late 2024.
A Masterclass in Front-Running Tactics
From the moment the gates opened, Javier Castellano made his intentions clear. Breaking from an advantageous position, And One More Time was hustled to the lead, a move that dictated the complexion of the entire race. However, the path to the front was not without incident. As the field converged toward the first turn, And One More Time brushed with a rival and subsequently made contact with the previously unbeaten Accent (GB), a Pinatubo (Ire) filly piloted by Jose Lezcano.
Despite the early jostling, Castellano secured the rail and the lead, carving out measured fractions of :23.92 for the opening quarter-mile and :48.69 for the half-mile. These internal splits allowed And One More Time to conserve enough energy to meet the challenges that awaited in the final stages of the race. As the field turned for home, Oversubscribed (GB), representing the powerful Chad Brown stable, loomed as a serious threat.
Under urging from Castellano, And One More Time drifted slightly outward in the upper stretch—a common occurrence for horses tiring on the lead—but she dug in gamely. While Oversubscribed (GB) narrowed the gap with every stride, she could not bypass the leader, who maintained a three-quarter-length advantage at the wire. Al Jafara (GB), another Chad Brown trainee, finished strongly to secure third, while the troubled Accent (GB) faded to fourth.
The Steward’s Inquiry and Post-Race Tension
The drama did not conclude with the crossing of the finish line. Almost immediately, the "Inquiry" sign was posted on the infield tote board, and jockey Jose Lezcano lodged an objection against the winner, alleging interference during the critical run into the first turn. The ensuing wait was agonizing for the connections of Live Oak Plantation, as the stewards reviewed multiple camera angles of the initial stages of the race.
Ultimately, the officials ruled that the contact, while evident, did not warrant a disqualification, determining that the incident did not cost Accent (GB) a better placing. In the winner’s circle, Castellano was firm in his defense of the ride. He noted that in the tight confines of the Aqueduct turf course, positioning is paramount.
"My horse dictates the pace," Castellano explained. "She broke good out of the gate, and I didn’t want to take away anything that comes easy. I knew Jose [Lezcano] tried to get the same spot, but the turn is coming, and it seems to me only one horse can make it. I gave him plenty of room; you can see the head-on. I never came over, but he was really tight, really close to the rail. I think with the way she did it, it was the right move."
Lezcano, conversely, felt the interference was a deciding factor in his filly’s fourth-place finish. "I got pinched pretty good in the first turn and my filly lost position—and Oversubscribed right behind me, too," Lezcano said. "[And One More Time] completely took the spot of my horse. I was still there and she got into me on the turn."
A Chronology of Resilience: From the Natalma to Aqueduct
The victory in the Plenty of Grace serves as a redemption arc for And One More Time. Her career trajectory has been one of immense highs followed by a period of searching for consistency.
In September 2024, she announced herself as a star by winning the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine, a "Win and You’re In" event for the Breeders’ Cup. However, a light three-year-old campaign followed. After nearly a year away from the competitive ranks, she returned in mid-September 2025 at Woodbine in an optional claiming contest. Her subsequent effort in the Tropical Park Oaks on December 13 saw her finish second to Destino d’Oro, a filly who would go on to win the Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational in early 2026.
The start of 2026 was difficult for And One More Time. She struggled in the Gulfstream Park heat, finishing a lackluster seventh in the Pegasus Turf on January 24. A follow-up effort in the Grade 2 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on March 7 resulted in a fifth-place finish. To many observers, it appeared the filly had lost the brilliance of her juvenile season.
However, trainer Mark Casse and his assistant Shane Tripp remained confident. By shipping her to New York and targeting the Plenty of Grace, they found a spot where her natural speed could be weaponized. "Mark’s had her down there [in Florida] this winter and they got her ready," said Shane Tripp. "We just breezed her the one time here, but they did a good job. She had a start already and we were pretty happy to have her here."
Pedigree and Market Value: The Legacy of Complicated
And One More Time’s success is no accident of nature; she is the product of one of the most productive modern pedigrees in the American Stud Book. Bred in Kentucky by William B. Harrigan and Mike Pietrangelo, she was a standout at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, where she commanded a premium price of $750,000.
Her dam, Complicated (by the Medaglia d’Oro son Blame), has become a "blue hen" mare for her breeders. And One More Time is the fourth consecutive stakes horse produced by the mare. Her siblings include:
- Honor D Lady (Honor Code): A multiple graded stakes winner with earnings exceeding $745,000.
- Churchtown (Air Force Blue): A stakes winner and multiple graded stakes-placed runner.
- Simply in Front (Summer Front): A multimillionaire Grade 1 winner who has become a stalwart of the turf division.
The family’s success continues to grow. Complicated has a three-year-old named Aporia (War Front) who recently showed promise finishing second to the "TDN Rising Star" Parfois (Ire). Furthermore, her juvenile colt by Golden Pal, named Roosevelt, fetched $450,000 at the Keeneland September Sale last year. The mare is currently in foal to the elite sire Not This Time, ensuring that this line will remain at the forefront of the sport for years to come.
The Omaha Beach Factor
The win also provides another boost to the stallion profile of Omaha Beach. A three-time Grade 1 winner himself, Omaha Beach has quickly established himself as a versatile sire capable of producing elite talent on both dirt and turf. As a son of War Front, Omaha Beach was expected to pass on turf proficiency, and And One More Time remains one of his most prominent advertisements for that surface.
In a competitive market where breeders are increasingly looking for "all-weather" sires, the ability of Omaha Beach’s progeny to handle the tight turns and firm ground of New York’s turf courses is a significant selling point.
Broader Implications and Future Targets
With the Plenty of Grace Stakes now in the rearview mirror, the Casse stable can look toward the major summer objectives. This victory likely serves as a bridge to the prestigious turf meets at Belmont at the Big A and, eventually, Saratoga Race Course.
Potential targets for And One More Time include the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes or the Grade 1 Diana Stakes, though the latter would require her to stretch her speed out to nine furlongs—a distance that has tested her in the past. Given her performance today, a campaign focused on one-mile events seems most logical, where her gate speed can discourage rivals and allow her to dictate terms.
For Live Oak Plantation, the win reinforces their status as one of the premier owners in North American racing. Charlotte Weber’s operation has long been synonymous with quality, and in And One More Time, they possess a filly that can compete at the highest level of the distaff turf division.
As the New York racing circuit prepares for the transition to the historic summer season, And One More Time has re-established her credentials. She is no longer just a former juvenile champion looking for her form; she is a battle-tested four-year-old winner with the pedigree, the speed, and the grit to remain a major player in the 2026 stakes calendar. While the stewards’ review added a layer of drama to the proceedings, the final result was a testament to a horse and a team that knew exactly what was required to get back to the winner’s circle.
