Aqueduct: New York-bred seven-time winners meet in Thursday feature

For the first time since Jan. 30, there will be racing at Aqueduct on a Thursday, as the circuit returns to a five-days-per-week schedule. Also beginning Thursday, first post shifts to 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

“With more daylight time, we have the ability to start our races a little later, which gives our guests and horseplayers all over the country more time to handicap and adjust to race conditions,” said Martin Panza, the New York Racing Association’s senior vice president of racing operations. “We also hope the change will make our signal more visible to bettors outside the Eastern time zone.”

The nominal feature is race 8, a $59,000 optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles that attracted nine New York-bred fillies and mares. Great Gracie Dane and Princess Mara, a pair of seven-time winners who top the lineup in earnings, are in for the $30,000 claiming price.

Great Gracie Dane has won on the inner track in each of the past two winters but has been slow to round back into form since brought back from a layoff in December.

Princess Mara won the first two starts of her career at the 2012 winter meet and returned for a front-running win New Year’s Day. She goes first off a claim by Bobby Barbara and gets a switch to leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr.

Familyofroses, who has finished in the money in all five of her dirt starts, is a stretch threat for owner and trainer Robert Falcone.

Also entered were A Prettydixie, Broadway Music Gal, Hundred Acre Wood, Marcy, Mlle Margaux, and Physical Delivery.

Physical Delivery was a maiden winner at almost 12-1 here last winter for Charlie Baker and steps up after earning a career-best 70 Beyer Speed Figure for winning a first-level allowance at 10-1 on Jan. 11.

In race 3, a $65,000 maiden special weight that is the richest race on the card, Dowager breaks from the rail against six other 4-year-old fillies. The Darley Stable homebred earned a layover Beyer when beaten a nose last out and looks like a free bingo square in multirace exotics for Kiaran McLaughlin.

◗ On Monday, a field of seven was drawn for Saturday’s $100,000 Fred “Cappy” Capossela Stakes at six furlongs, headed by Jimmy Winkfield Stakes winner Hot Heir Skier. From the rail out, the lineup of 3-year-olds is Germaniac, Geaux Mets, Long On Value, Oliver Zip, Good Time Henny, Hot Heir Skier, and Loki’s Vengeance.

Hot Heir Skier adds blinkers after prevailing narrowly over Oliver Zip in the Jimmy Winkfield. “He got a little green through the stretch, which he has a tendency to do,” trainer Ben Perkins Jr. said.