Aqueduct: Speed to spare in Friday's featured eighth race

Tom Keyser

Glickman, who recently wired a first-level allowance in his second start back from a layoff, adds fuel to the pace fire.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There’s no shortage of speed in Friday’s featured eighth race at Aqueduct, a second-level allowance/optional claimer containing several sprinters who have won at least one of their recent starts in wire-to-wire fashion.

The field of nine includes the Darley Stable entry of Mysticism and Opening Move, who both have high-octane early speed, and the Repole stable entry of Driven by Solar and Overcommunication, a pair of horses for the course returning from layoffs who are both capable of mixing it up early, and have combined for seven wins on the inner track.

Following a disappointing effort in a six-furlong turf sprint that went in course-record time at Belmont last June, Opening Move returned to the scene of his front-running maiden win last winter for Kiaran McLaughlin and drew away to a sharp first-level allowance score after a pace duel with Quick Money, who returned to win big last Saturday.

Opening Move drew post 6, while entrymate Mysticism, who has led at the first call in all seven career starts for Tom Albertrani, breaks from the outside.

“We’re running for sure,” said assistant trainer Art Magnuson of Opening Move. “The turf experiment didn’t work, so we just kind of let him regroup and we were pleasantly surprised with his [return race]. I don’t think he has to be out there [in front], but he’s training great, and I guess it’s better to be a little bit outside.”

Close to the Vest, who has been on the engine for two wins over mid-level claimers and a runner-up finish in a starter handicap, drops 10 pounds off the latter race, and seems committed to try for the lead once again from the rail.

Head Heart Hoof, a 15-time winner who was a game second in Monday’s Hollie Hughes Stakes first time off a claim by Tony Dutrow, will not run back, which removes one quality speed horse from the equation.

“I see it happening [quick turnarounds] and I’m not judging anyone, but I can’t feel safe about it,” said Dutrow. “At the time we entered, we were unsure which race to go in, and decided on the stake.”

Glickman, who recently wired a first-level allowance in his second start back from a layoff for Jim Ryerson, adds more fuel to the pace fire.

The Dale Romans-trained De Price, a stretch-running sprinter, and Jaguar Paw, a turnback making his third start back from a layoff for Bill Mott, would benefit from hotly contested fractions.

* Hard Mystery, a perfect-trip winner of an overnight stake restricted to erstwhile claimers for George Weaver on Jan. 19, breaks from the outside against five other 3-year-old fillies in race 1, a $56,000 optional claimer at one mile.

Permanent Wave stretches out after a win over $35,000 maiden-claiming sprinters that earned the group’s top Beyer Speed Figure.