It wasn’t that surprising that Mama’s Gold finished fifth as the favorite in last month’s Say Florida Sandy Stakes at Aqueduct. Sure, he was coming off two triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures, but those were earned in wins going 1 1/8 miles, whereas the Say Florida Sandy was a seven-furlong race. “I guess I proved all the critics right last time. If he goes short, he likes to stop,” trainer Jimmy Ferraro said. “The longer you go with him, the better he is.” Friday, Mama’s Gold stretches back out to 1 1/8 miles in a multi-conditioned, $86,000 allowance that serves as the featured second race on Aqueduct’s eight-race card. Last fall, Mama’s Gold won the Empire Classic for New York-breds and an open-company, second-level allowance race going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct. He used his natural speed to get into stride and won each race by four or more lengths, earning a 103 Beyer in the Empire Classic and a 102 for the allowance. “He just keeps going, no wasted motion,” Ferraro said. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Among the horses Mama’s Gold defeated in the Empire Classic was Bank Frenzy, who has come out of that race to win three in a row, including last weekend’s Stymie Stakes. Among the horses Mama’s Gold beat in the allowance was Yo Daddy, who came back to win a pair of allowance races before finishing fifth in the Stymie. Mama’s Gold gets back on Lasix in the allowance. He was not permitted to use the anti-bleeding medication in the Say Florida Sandy. “That could be a major factor and help him a lot,” Ferraro said. Trainer Rick Dutrow has entered the uncoupled pair of Kinetic Sky and Masmak in this spot. Masmak has won three of his last four starts and finished second to Ouster in the other, a one-mile allowance on Jan. 4. Last out, on Feb. 7, Masmak won a second-level allowance by 2 3/4 lengths going 1 1/8 miles for the first time. “He got the job done. We were happy with him,” Dutrow said. “Just wanted to follow up again with another two-turn race with him. If he gets the trip, he should be tough to beat. It should set up good. There’s plenty of speed in the race. He should get a really good [trip] there.” Kinetic Sky finished third in that Jan. 4 allowance, which was his first start off a nine-month layoff. He is winless in five tries at 1 1/8 miles. “The race sets up good for him, too,” Dutrow said. “He doesn’t mind having something in front of him. He knows how to stalk and stuff like that.” Film Star, who has won listed stakes in two of his last five starts for Linda Rice, is the only member of this field who’s in for the $80,000 claiming price. He is coming off a third-place finish behind Curbstone in a no-condition allowance race at Aqueduct on Jan. 25. Classic Catch, second to Yo Daddy in a three-horse allowance on Feb. 6, and Nelson Avenue, who finished last of six in the Toboggan Stakes on Feb. 1, complete the field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.