02/04/2012 4:43PM

Aqueduct: Nicole H reaffirms affinity for inner track in Correction

By David Grening
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Tom Keyser
Nicole H, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, is now 4 for 4 in stakes over Aqueduct's inner track after taking the Correction.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The dominant Nicole H, absent from last month’s Interborough Stakes, was back at Aqueduct on Saturday, rallying along the rail in upper stretch and drawing clear to a 2 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Correction Stakes at Aqueduct.

The win was the seventh from 18 lifetime starts for Nicole H, and her fourth in as many races – all stakes – over the inner track. Her two stakes wins last year came by the identical 2 1/2-length margin as her Correction victory. Last month, Nicole H won the Interborough by a neck over Winning Image, who was back in the Correction field.

“Whatever was making her dawdle when she got by that horse [last time] – we never quite figured out what it was – it sure wasn’t there today,” said winning trainer Mike Hushion.

Despite being bottled up along the inside for a good part of the trip, jockey Ramon Dominguez was able to find running room turning for home, then shot Nicole H along the inside of Golden Mystery, who had drifted off the rail in the stretch.

Golden Mystery had taken the lead from Winning Image, who tired to last after setting fractions of 23.18 seconds for the quarter and 46.78 for the half-mile.

Dominguez said he would have preferred to have gotten Nicole H to the outside earlier than he did, but felt he had enough horse to go inside or outside whenever room developed.

“Though it seemed like I was in a vulnerable position at the time I was very happy with the way she was taking me,” Dominguez said.

Nicole H, a 5-year-old daughter of Mr. Greeley owned by John Waken’s GEM Racing, covered the six furlongs in 1:11.08 and returned $3 as the 1-2 favorite.

Honchis ‘n Ponchis, under David Cohen, rallied for second by one length over Golden Mystery. She was followed in the order of finish by Love That Dance, Streaker, Cinco de Mayo Mio, and Winning Image.

Nicole H may point to the Grade 2, $150,000 Distaff Handicap on April 14, a race she won last year.