Aqueduct: King of Broadway goes longer in Monday allowance

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The key to handicapping Monday’s $67,000 first-level allowance feature at Aqueduct is deciphering which horse is best suited to handle 1 1/8 miles.

Only two of the six horses entered have attempted to run that far, with King of Broadway finishing second in what was his second career start last summer at Saratoga.

Whether it’s the lesser company or simply maturity, King of Broadway seems a better horse this winter than he was last summer and appears the horse to beat in this field. A son of Sky Mesa trained by Bill Mott, King of Broadway didn’t win his maiden until his seventh start, but did so by 9 3/4 lengths going 1 1/16 miles over the inner track Jan. 20. In his first start against winners, King of Broadway was beaten 5 1/2 lengths by Start Jumping, who was winning his fourth career race.

“I thought he ran great, he had me excited at one stage, I thought we were going to win and then here that other thing comes,” said Leana Willaford, Mott’s New York-based assistant.

King of Broadway came back with a solid half-mile breeze in 47.70 seconds last Sunday over the Belmont training track.

“He worked great the other day,” Willaford said. “Sporadically, he had some races where he looked like he was pretty good.”

Manny Esquivel rides King of Broadway from post 5.

In his only try at 1 1/8 miles, Ruthless Alley finished fifth, beaten 9 1/4 lengths in his third career start one year ago. Since returning to the dirt after eight consecutive turf races, Ruthless Alley has two wins and a third. He is coming off an 8 3/4-length victory going a mile in a starter allowance here Feb. 24 in which he earned a gaudy 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trainer Rodrigo Ubillo believes Ruthless Alley is “fit enough” to go 1 1/8 miles, but added “he’s coming back in a short amount of time.”

Finn’s Quest defeated Ruthless Alley in a starter allowance here Jan. 27. Trainer Tom Morley is a little skeptical about his colt’s ability to get the distance, but believes the race will at least set him up well for Aqueduct’s spring meet.

“He’ll probably be better when we get to the outer track and he can go a one-turn mile, but he’s had a nice little break since he won in January – we freshened him up a little bit – and the race is there, might as well have a crack at it,” said Morley, who trains Finn’s Quest for his mother, Davina.

Jose Ortiz will ride Finn’s Quest from the rail.

Ghareeb, a gelding by Tapit, has not run since winning a 1 1/16-mile maiden race last May 10 at Pimlico. Art Magnuson, assistant to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, believes Ghareeb will want the 1 1/8 miles but not necessarily on Monday.

“He wants to go that far, for sure, it’s a little bit much to ask right now,” Magnuson said. “He’s training better than last year, he’s ready to run, short field, good starting spot.”

Ghareeb does get Lasix for the first time.

Tug of War and Beeliner, both of whom ran for a $25,000 claiming tag last out, complete the field.