Aqueduct: McLaughlin has Ruthless covered

[bc_video_id:313881:]OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In all likelihood, the winner of Sunday’s $100,000 Ruthless Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct will come from the barn of trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Handicappers must choose between the speedy Summertime Friend or the late-running Mamdooha.

The Ruthless, originally scheduled for Saturday, was pushed back a day when only three horses entered the race Wednesday. On Thursday, Vero Amore and Keep in Mind were supplemented to the field. The Ruthless will be run as race 3.

Mamdooha, a Shadwell Farm homebred-daughter of Daaher, is the more accomplished of the two McLaughlin runners having won the Gin Talking Stakes at seven furlongs at Laurel on Dec. 7. That victory came over a sealed muddy surface, conditions that could be in play Sunday.

McLaughlin was toying with the idea of stretching Mamdooha out in distance in last weekend’s Busanda Stakes at a mile and 70 yards, but the decision was made to keep her sprinting for at least one more start.

“Right now, we’re just going to stay short,” said Art Magnuson, the New York-based assistant to McLaughlin. “It looks like a really good spot.”

Mamdooha, who won her maiden in her second start sprinting over Aqueduct’s main track, has done her best running from off the pace. She showed the ability to successfully close into a half-mile fraction run in 48.02 seconds as well as a half-mile run in 46.67.

“I think she can lay closer,” Magnuson said. “She might get outrun just a tad, but she’s very honest.”

Eddie Castro rides Mamdooha from the outside post in the five-horse field.

Summertime Friend, a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro who brought $350,000 as a 2-year-old at auction, won her debut going 5 1/2 furlongs on Oct. 20. Seven weeks later, she finished third as the 4-5 favorite in a first-level allowance race going seven furlongs at Aqueduct. Sunday, she will be getting Lasix for the first time. McLaughlin hits at 34 percent with first-time Lasix.

“We might have been a little too easy on her going in that race,” Magnuson said. “We love the cutback in distance, and she’s never trained better. Jose Ortiz rides, first-time Lasix; lot of pluses.”

Alpaca Fina, trained by David Jacobson, runs back eight days after finishing fifth in the Busanda on Jan. 4. She stumbled out of the gate that day and was never really in the race.

“She got creamed out of the gate. She was kind of out of it from the beginning,” Jacobson said. “I don’t want to pass a five-horse field where she’s doing great, tearing down the walls.”

Vero Amore, a daughter of Mineshaft, won two straight races at Parx Racing for trainer Butch Reid. She figures to use her speed from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Keep in Mind, who won for maiden claiming $20,000 on Dec. 28, is simply overmatched in here.