Aqueduct: King of Broadway favored in Friday allowance

King of Broadway, fresh off a productive winter for Bill Mott, heads a field of seven in Friday’s featured eighth race, a $67,000 first-level allowance race at 1 1/8 miles that is the first two-turner at Aqueduct’s short spring meet.

King of Broadway is the 2-1 morning-line choice, and deservedly so, since he has already beaten four of his six opponents, beginning with a lopsided maiden victory on Jan. 20 in his seasonal bow over Winter Games, and runner-up finishes at this level in which he outfinished Idle American, Mighty Ian, and Tug of War.

After finishing a distant second to King of Broadway in that Jan. 20 race, Winter Games added blinkers for his next start, and overcame the far outside post to graduate at 12-1 for Jeremiah Englehart. A gelding by A.P. Indy, Winter Games is bred to relish Friday’s added distance.

Idle American, who put in a wide middle move before flattening out in a high-end optional claimer for New York-breds on Mar. 9, may be eyeing a return to the Big A turf course, where he has posted all three of his lifetime victories for trainer Pat Kelly.

Mighty Ian failed to fire as the 8-5 favorite on Feb. 17 against King of Broadway last out, but may rebound for Rudy Rodriguez back on the main track, where he earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure for winning an optional claimer last fall.

Tug of War goes second time off a claim by Carlos Martin, who will add blinkers to the gelding’s equipment following an even try when fourth in a March 10 allowance.

The most intriguing entrant is Matterhorn, who, at $625,000, was among the most expensive 2-year-olds sold at auction in 2013.

Matterhorn, a three-quarter-brother to 2013 Ohio Derby winner Title Contender, was lightly regarded at nearly 14-1 for his debut here last Nov. 16 but finished gamely to beat stablemate Harpoon, a next-out maiden winner who was subsequently beaten a nose in the Sam F. Davis Stakes before running fifth in the Gotham.

Returned for his 3-year-old debut on Feb. 22, Matterhorn failed to mount a serious challenge against another stablemate, Constitution, who is 2 for 2 heading into Saturday’s Florida Derby for Todd Pletcher.

“Matterhorn has been training well,” said assistant trainer Byron Hughes. “Todd does not think he liked that Gulfstream Park surface.”

Facing older rivals, Matterhorn gets up to eight pounds from the field.