Aqueduct: Mental Iceberg has shot if inner track plays fair

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A pair of first-level optional $75,000 claiming races restricted to 3-year-old New York-breds – one for males, one for fillies – highlight Sunday’s nine-race card at Aqueduct.

Mental Iceberg and Pax in Terra top the $57,000 third race for males going a mile and 70 yards.

After winning his debut on turf at odds of 32-1 at Belmont in September, Mental Iceberg was thrown to the wolves on dirt, running eighth to Honor Code in the Grade 2 Remsen and sixth to Noble Moon in the Grade 2 Jerome. Back with statebreds in a Jan. 31 allowance, Mental Iceberg finished a well-beaten second behind Deceived, who was scheduled to run in Saturday’s Grade 3 Gotham.

“Last time he ran well, I just didn’t think you could make too much ground up that day,” said Greg DiPrima, trainer of Mental Iceberg, who singled out Pax in Terra as the horse to beat. “It wasn’t his kind of track. He just had too much to do. We have enough tactical speed to stay close and if the track’s honest I think we can make a run at him.”

Pax in Terra, beaten 14 1/2 lengths by Uncle Sigh in his first start on dirt on Dec. 27, comes off a win in the mud here on Jan. 18 and will likely be favored on Sunday.

Trainer Todd Pletcher also sends out Storm, who finished three lengths behind Mental Iceberg on Jan. 31.

Trainer Gary Contessa sends out the uncoupled entry of Freddie G, a recent maiden winner, and Sidearm, who won his debut at Saratoga but has lost eight straight races since.

In Sunday’s eighth race for 3-year-old fillies going 5 1/2 furlongs, Irish Sweepstakes makes her return to the races after a six-month layoff following surgery to remove a chip from her ankle.

Irish Sweepstakes was beaten by the colt Wired Bryan in her debut last June at Belmont, before winning a maiden race for fillies at Saratoga by 7 1/2 lengths. The chip was discovered after she finished third as the 1-5 favorite in the Lady Finger Stakes at Finger Lakes on Sept. 2.

Mark Hennig, trainer of Irish Sweepstakes, said he feels the filly has enough training in her to go 5 1/2 furlongs, though he’s “not crazy about” having drawn the rail.

My Girl Madison was a debut winner for trainer Yvon Belsoeur on Feb. 7 and has since come back with a bullet five-furlong work on Feb. 24.

“She always showed ability since the beginning,” Belsoeur said. “Now she has to keep showing her ability. She has natural speed. She can carry it. I’m going to try to stretch her out next time. That’s the plan, but one step at a time.”

Bridget Moloney won this condition on Dec. 29 by 9 1/2 lengths but this time is entered for the optional claiming price of $75,000. Most recently, Bridget Moloney finished fourth behind Gracer in the Dearly Precious Stakes.