Aqueduct: All Due Respect a rested favorite for Go for Wand Handicap

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Things are going so well for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. this month in New York that he’s able to get the morning-line favorite to scratch out of Friday’s Grade 2 Go for Wand Handicap, leaving him with the favorite and horse to beat.

When trainer Bill Mott opted to run Arena Elvira in Thursday’s Falls City Handicap at Churchill Downs, that made life much easier for the Dutrow-trained All Due Respect, who now heads a field of eight in Friday’s $150,000 Go for Wand at Aqueduct. The Go for Wand, formerly run at Saratoga, replaces the Top Flight Handicap and will be run as a one-turn mile. It is the ninth of 10 races on a Black Friday card that begins at noon.

Paul Pompa Jr. and Taylor Brothers Properties purchased All Due Respect last January and turned her over to Dutrow in Florida. She won the Ocala Stakes, a one-turn mile race restricted to Florida-breds in which she defeated Musical Romance, who earlier this month won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

All Due Respect made her next start in the Grade 2 La Troienne at Churchill Downs and was in contention until midstretch before settling for third behind Blind Luck and Unrivaled Belle.

“She’s run with some good ones and she’s showed up,” said Dutrow, who was the leading trainer at this meet with 13 wins from 25 starters through Wednesday.

Dutrow said All Due Respect had a habit of leaning out when she arrived, and following the La Troienne he sent the filly to Dr. Larry Bramlage for evaluation. Bramlage prescribed some time off.

“They’re not taking any effort out of them when they’re going straight; when they’re leaning it’s harder on them and something has to be going on somewhere or they wouldn’t be leaning,” Dutrow said. “If she would have come back from Bramlage and had been leaning again, we wouldn’t be thrilled but we’d take what comes; but man she’s good now.”

Junior Alvarado will ride All Due Respect from post 3.

Risky Rachel was the 5-2 second choice when she upended 6-5 favorite Lovely Lil in the Iroquois Stakes restricted to New York-breds on Oct. 22 at Belmont Park. Risky Rachel has won three of four starts since returning from a tendon problem that sidelined her for more than a year. Risky Rachel will attempt the mile for just the second time in her career. She was fourth to Sassy Image in the Sweet Chant run over a sloppy Gulfstream track in 2010.

“I think she might get a distance, she’s been training really, really good,” trainer James Bond said. “We’re stepping up, it’s the right time to step up. She’s in a positive mode, and the one turn really agrees with her.”

Paco Lopez rides Risky Rachel from post 2.

Katy Now is 3 for 3 in one-turn mile races, including a 2 3/4-length score in an overnight stakes at Belmont on Sept. 30.

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