Sunday Girl seeks title defense in the $150K John Hettinger as Aqueduct Racetrack serves up its final stakes
At 1h25, on June 28, 2026 • By Christian Abdo, Aqueduct Racetrack
Mitre Box Stable, Clear Stars Stable and Eighth Note Stable’s Sunday Girl seeks a title defense in Closing Day Sunday’s $150,000 John Hettinger, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont at the Big A.
Live racing will cease at Aqueduct Racetrack following Sunday’s nine-race program, which kicks off at 1:10 p.m. Eastern. Thus, the 18th running of the John Hettinger [Race 8] will go down as the last stakes race contested at the historic South Ozone Park oval that opened on September 27, 1894.
Sunday Girl, trained by David Duggan, won this event last year when making her turf debut. Piloted by returning rider Katie Davis, the 5-year-old Central Banker chestnut broke alertly, set the pace and opened up through five-eighths in 56.21 seconds over the firm turf, holding off Silver Skillet by 2 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:07.76.
Sunday Girl exited to make her lone other turf start, finishing seventh when traveling farther off-the-pace than usual in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Smart and Fancy in August at Saratoga Race Course. Her other 13 starts were on dirt, including local wins in the 2024 NYSSS Park Avenue and last year’s six-furlong Correction versus open company, which was part of a four-race win streak capped by the Hettinger.
“I think she handles this surface,” Duggan said. “There was an excuse for the other turf race last year at Saratoga, so that’s basically a throw-out race. I think she handles turf, it is not an issue.”
After the Smart and Fancy, Sunday Girl made four more starts last year, including a 2 1/2-length fourth to Sterling Silver in the state-bred Iroquois in October here which earned a career-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure. She has made one outing this year, a 4 1/2-length second to returning rival With the Angels when attempting a title defense in the Correction on March 1.
Sunday Girl worked four times over the Belmont Park dirt training track towards the Hettinger, including a bullet half-mile in 47.42 seconds on June 14 and a three-furlong move in 37.21 on June 22.
“Her last works have been exceptionally good,” Duggan said. “She worked 47 and change, that was basically the tightener and then this week was just the maintenance.”
Sunday Girl [post 9, Katie Davis] has made 11-of-15 starts at Aqueduct Racetrack, and Duggan said this one feels special.
