Just when that day will come, however, remains uncertain because of the exceptionally harsh winter that has sunk its teeth into the New York area like a bulldog into a postman. The original March 12 opening date has already been pushed back two days in order to give track superintendant Jerry Porcelli and his crew additional time to rouse the main track from hibernation, and that may be an optimistic target date.

"We need a good week of defrosted weather to get into the cushion, and then you still have to worry about the base being frozen," Porcelli explained. "With all the snow we pushed off the inner track and onto the main track, the cushion is out of place in some spots. We have to get in there to work it, but we just can't do that unless it's defrosted."

Any further delays would have a significant impact on the spring stakes schedule, because five of the first six stakes are scheduled out of the chute at seven furlongs or one mile, notably the March 16 Gotham for 3-year-olds, which is the traditional prep for the nine-furlong Wood Memorial on April 12. The last time the Gotham was run as a two-turn route on the inner track was back in 1984, and the switch prompted Woody Stephens to keep his star colt Devil's Bag out of the race. As things stand now, the best-case scenario is that horsemen will have to enter for the Gotham on Friday morning, March 14, without having seen a single race on the main track.

Sooner or later, though, the weather will improve enough to allow racing on the main track. The switch is significant because configuration and composition differ greatly from the inner track. The one-mile inner has sharp turns and an eight-inch limestone-screening base that drains quickly and resists freezing, with a thin layer of clay, silt and sand on top. The nine-furlong main track has more gradual turns, and a 10-inch base of clay, silt, and sand. Generally speaking, horses tend to have an easier time getting hold of the main track. The limestone-based inner makes for a looser surface that is more difficult for some horses to grab.

When the different footing and layout are considered, along with the return of the long sprints at seven furlongs and one mile out of the chute, it's easy to see why experienced players take extra care to look for horses with good back form on the main, and tend to take sharp recent form on the inner track with a grain of salt.

Another big difference, particularly in the one-turn races: post positions.

In sprints and routes on the inner track, inside posts are a big edge, and the outside is the kiss of death. Through the end of February, for example, posts 10-12 sprinting on the inner were a woeful 7 for 163.

But on the main track - especially out of the chute - the edge generally goes to early speed and stalker-types breaking from middle to outside posts. Last fall, to cite another brief but provocative example, posts 1 and 2 were a combined 0 for 34 at seven furlongs from opening day through mid-November. At a mile, the two inside posts combined for a 4-for-72 mark.

Horses with good back form on the main are sometimes overlooked and pay generously, but bettors looking for solid stand-alone singles for multi-race exotics will often land on a shipper from Gulfstream Park, especially toward the end of March and into April.

The Florida shippers have several advantages. Their training was uninterrupted through the winter; they tend to perk up moving from a warm to a cool climate; they have been running in fast-paced races and are thus sharp; and many of them are associated with those well-known, brand-name barns of trainers like Allen Jerkens, Shug McGaughey, Todd Pletcher, and Mark Hennig, who will be filtering in their top stock as the weather improves.

And the weather around New York is sure to improve eventually, right?

Taking a look back at winter's wrath, save for future reference this account of notable days from Aqueduct's inner-track meet:

Dec. 4 - Opening day. Very dull, slow track.

Dec. 6 - Racing canceled the previous day due to snowstorm. Outside closer's track.

Dec. 11 - "Good" track sealed throughout the day. Very dull, slow track.

Dec. 12 - Drying-out surface upgraded from good to fast; harrowed throughout.

Dec. 18 - Edge to early speed.

Dec. 27 - Thawing track (last race canceled). Inside paths preferred.

Dec. 28 - Thawing "good" track sealed throughout.

Jan. 1 - Ankle-deep slop. Slow track.

Jan. 5 - "Good" track harrowed for first two races, sealed thereafter at riders' request.

Jan. 8 - Edge to inside speed.

Jan. 10 - Good to wet-fast, harrowed throughout.

Jan. 15 - Big edge to early speed.

Jan. 16 - Big edge to early speed.

Jan. 19 - Big edge to early speed.

Jan. 23 - Frigid conditions (17 degrees with a strong northwesterly wind).

Jan. 25 - Gold-rail speed track.

Jan. 26 - Outside closers' track.

Jan. 29 - Snowing throughout.

Jan. 31 - Speed won sprints; closers won routes.

Feb. 1 - Inside paths preferred.

Feb. 2 - Stiff headwind backstretch.

Feb. 5 - Edge to speed and stalkers.

Feb. 6 - Edge to speed.

Feb. 12, 13 - Stiff headwind into far turn.

Feb. 14 - Edge to speed and stalkers.

Feb. 16 - Canceled after first race due to frigid conditions.

Feb. 20 - Edge to speed and stalkers.

Feb. 22 - Heavy rain. Speed dominated second half of card.

Feb. 23 - Cancelled after fifth race due to deteriorating track conditions. Edge to speed.