Aqueduct: Eye Luv Lulu finds better spot in allowance feature

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After finding open-stakes company a little too much for him to handle at this point, the New York-bred Eye Luv Lulu faces competition against whom he is a better fit in Friday’s $62,000 allowance feature at Aqueduct.

Though this six-furlong heat is a first-level allowance for open company, Eye Luv Lulu is one of three New York-breds in the five-horse field. Bass River Road and Geaux Mets, like Eye Luv Lulu, have all won first-level New York-bred allowance races over the inner track this winter with the same 74 Beyer Speed Figure.

Eye Luv Lulu cleared his allowance hurdle racing 5 1/2 furlongs Dec. 31, holding off Sol the Freud and Sidearm. Eye Luv Lulu then came back three weeks later in the $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes, where he chased the pace from the inside before faltering and finishing last, beaten 12 3/4 lengths by Hot Heir Skier. Winkfield runner-up Oliver Zip came back to win the Fred “Cappy” Capossela Stakes last Saturday.

“Last time, he was pinned on the inside and never seemed comfortable. It was a lot of stop-and-go,” trainer Carlos Martin said. “He trained so well going into the race that even though we were moving up in class, I thought he had a chance.”

Martin is taking the blinkers off Eye Luv Lulu, believing that at this stage of his career, “he doesn’t need them anymore.”

Phil Teator, whose lone win from 54 mounts this winter at Aqueduct came on Eye Luv Lulu on Dec. 31, rides from post 4.

Bass River Road won first time out at odds of 26-1 for trainer Jim Ryerson before twice finishing fifth in statebred allowance races. On Feb. 17, he scored a 3 3/4-length upset at 14-1 when able to secure a relatively easy lead after breaking slowly from the rail in a New York-bred allowance dash.

“He’s had issues at the gate, but he’s gotten better at that,” Ryerson said. “He doesn’t have to be on the lead, but he’s more confident laying a little closer. He runs better that way.”

Eddie Castro rides Bass River Road from the outside post.

Geaux Mets is another who figures to lay close after chasing a hot pace when third in a restricted stakes at Parx on Feb. 8. Three starts back, he prompted a modest pace to win his statebred allowance condition before coming back in six days and unsuccessfully stretching out when beaten 22 lengths by Samraat in the Damon Runyon Stakes.

Cornelio Velasquez rides from post 2.

Choctaw Chuck makes his first start for trainer Linda Rice, who was given the horse by her father, Clyde Rice. Taylor Rice, Clyde’s granddaughter and Linda’s niece, rides.

Handstand, a first-out winner at 23-1 for Tom Albertrani and Darley Stable, completes the field.

Palace turned out

Palace, who finished fourth as the favorite in the Grade 3 General George Handicap at Laurel on Feb. 17, has been turned out, trainer Rice said.

“I turned him out for four to six weeks,” Rice said. “He had bled through Lasix in Maryland in the General George, and he needed a little freshening.”

Rice said Palace, who won the Grade 3 Fall Highweight last November, is at Fair Winds Farm in central New Jersey. He likely will return sometime during the Belmont spring/summer meet.