Allowance matches inner-track lovers
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Horse-for-course handicappers will have to decide between Storied Lady and Perfect Freud in Sunday’s $69,000 second-level allowance feature for fillies and mares at Aqueduct.
Storied Lady, trained by John Hertler, is 4 for 9 over Aqueduct’s inner track and 0 for 13 elsewhere. Even her third-place finish on the inner track in the Bay Ridge Stakes on Dec. 12 was far superior to her form since she had last raced on the inner track 10 months ago.
Perfect Freud, trained by Gary Sciacca, is 3 for 4 over the inner track and 2 for 13 elsewhere. She is coming off a front-running victory against open company over the inner track Dec. 13.
Perfect Freud might have to avoid an early pace battle with Lucky Nancy E., who breaks from the rail in the mile-and-70-yard race Sunday. Lucky Nancy E. defeated Perfect Freud by two lengths in a New York-bred second-level allowance in the slop last September at Belmont.
Lucky Nancy E. is coming off a front-running score going 1 1/8 miles over the main track Dec. 2, a race that also was run in the slop.
Completing the field are Agawa, who ran well twice at this condition last winter over the inner track, Littlemissperfect, and Rapid Repair. Rapid Repair was also entered in Saturday’s $75,000 Nellie Morse Stakes at Laurel.
KEY CONTENDERS
Storied Lady (Last 3 Beyers: 80-67-67)
◗ Has a 4-1-3 record from nine starts over the inner track. She won the Bay Ridge Stakes in 2014 and ran a solid third behind Saythreehailmary’s and Sheriffa in last month’s Bay Ridge.
“She was running at the end and looked good,” Hertler said.
◗ She would benefit from a contested pace between Lucky Nancy E. and Perfect Freud.
Agawa (Last 3 Beyers: 85-82-80)
◗ Returns to dirt for the first time since finishing fifth behind House Rules in the Grade 3 Top Flight last April.
◗ She was second, beaten a nose by Evening Show, at this same condition going a mile last Feb. 5.
◗ Trainer Chris Englehart has batted 24 percent over the last two years with horses returning from layoffs of greater than 180 days. Agawa has not run since July 1.
Perfect Freud (Last 3 Beyers: 82-25-72)
◗ Rebounded from an inexplicable 32 3/4-length loss two back with a score over open company at 10-1, making her 3-1-0 from four starts over the inner.
◗ Sciacca said he will leave the riding tactics up to Kendrick Carmouche, who chose this filly over Storied Lady.
“We’re on the outside,” Sciacca said. “Whatever Carmouche wants to do.”