Aqueduct: Dutrow may go three deep in Carter

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – An eclectic field of 12 was entered for Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct, including Be Bullish, who would be making his third start in nine days if he were to actually start in the seven-furlong race.

Be Bullish, claimed for $75,000 by trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. in February, won the Mr. Nasty Stakes on April 1 and finished second in Wednesday’s $60,000 Hamlet Stakes at Aqueduct. Be Bullish was one of three horses entered by Dutrow. Laysh Laysh Laysh, runner-up in the Grade 2 General George Handicap at Laurel Park, and Yawanna Twist, last year’s runner-up in the Gotham and Illinois Derby, are Dutrow’s other entrants.

The deep Carter field is led by Morning Line, the runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, and Apriority, who equaled a Gulfstream Park track record for 6 1/2 furlongs winning a third-level allowance race at Gulfstream Park on March 5 while earning a 113 Beyer Speed Figure.

Morning Line, trained by Nick Zito, will be shortening up to seven furlongs off a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 5 at Gulfstream. Morning Line, who won the Pennsylvania Derby last year in front-running fashion, has good early speed. He drew post 11, one slot inside of Have You Ever, who was entered by owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher as a pacesetter, or rabbit if you will, for stablemate Calibrachoa.

Calibrachoa has won three consecutive takes since being claimed by Repole and Pletcher for $40,000 last November. Calibrachoa’s top performance came in the Grade 3 Tom Fool in which Have You Ever dueled with the speedy Deputy Daney.

Another top contender in the Carter is Kensei, winner of the Dwyer at Belmont and Jim Dandy at Saratoga as a 3-year-old in 2009. Kensei is coming off a runner-up finish behind Misremembered in the Santana Mile at Santa Anita on May 6.

Completing the field are More Than a Reason, Independence War, Sunrise Smarty, and Fastus Cactus.