Aqueduct: Mail has potential heading into Traskwood

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mail is the least experienced and among the lesser accomplished horses entered in Friday’s $100,000 Traskwood Stakes at Aqueduct, but he appears to be the horse with the most upside moving forward.

Mail, a son of Medaglia d’Oro trained by Chad Brown, takes on four stakes winners in the Traskwood, restricted to 3-year-olds. The Traskwood, run at 1 1/16 miles, is the co-feature on Friday’s nine-race card along with the $100,000 Are We Dreamin Stakes for fillies and mares going six furlongs.

Mail has won two of his last three starts, including an off-the-turf, first-level allowance race Nov. 29 over Aqueduct’s main track. In his loss, on Oct. 25 at Belmont, Mail finished second to Long River, who came back to win the Time for a Change Stakes. Three other horses from that Belmont optional-claiming race – including Mail – came back to win next out.

“He was a horse who had some potential who wasn’t giving his all,” said Brown, who trains Mail for Mr. and Mrs. William Warren. “When we got him focused a little bit, he showed us his best stuff. Hopefully, he continues to improve as he gets older.”

Brown also entered Snake Pit, who is only 2 for 9 and has lost three straight since winning a first-level allowance at Parx Racing on July 8.

Edge of Reality, who won the Grade 3 Smarty Jones at Parx on Labor Day, makes his first start for trainer Phil Serpe, after the horse made his first nine starts for Tony Dutrow. Since winning the Smarty Jones, Edge of Reality finished ninth in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby in the slop and fourth in the seven-furlong City of Laurel Stakes at Laurel.

On Dec. 20, Edge of Reality worked a fast five furlongs in 59.09 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.

“He had a great work; we’re excited about running him,” Serpe said.

Micromanage makes his 10th stakes appearance. He won the Long Branch at Monmouth in July, but has disappointed since, though he was second to Long River in the Time for a Change. Micromanage worked a sharp half-mile in 48.55 seconds over the Belmont training track on Saturday in company with Midnight Taboo.

West Hills Giant, second in the Grade 3 Gotham over the inner track, was entered in this spot as well as Saturday’s $100,000 Alex M. Robb Handicap for New York-breds. As of Monday, trainer John Terranova had not decided in which he race he would run.

Vegas No Show and Pappa Portmore complete the field.

Merry Meadow on the improve

The consistent Merry Meadow seeks her first stakes victory in Friday’s $100,000 Are We Dreamin, restricted to fillies and mares who have started for a claiming price.

Merry Meadow has finished first or second in 11 of 16 starts, crossing the line first in four of her last six. She won a first-level allowance race by a neck Dec. 4, three weeks after being disqualified from first in a similar spot Nov. 13. Three starts back, Merry Meadow finished second to Toasting in the Dream Rush Stakes. Toasting came back to finish second, beaten a head, in the Grade 3 Comely Stakes.

“Winning did a lot for her mentally,” trainer Mark Hennig said of Merry Meadow. “Physically, she’s grown and gotten stronger every time she’s run the last half of the year. I don’t recall having a horse changing this much as she has.”

Breaking from the rail, Merry Meadow will likely have to use her speed to gain a forward position. Laguna Girl, positioned on the outside, looms the primary speed in the field.

Vicki’s Dancer, trained by Rudy Rodriguez, comes off a victory in a division of the New York Stallion Stakes on Nov. 23. She won two starts, both at six furlongs, over the inner track last winter.

Conkate, Madre Ditutticapi, and the late-running Galloping Giraffe complete the field.