Aqueduct: Plainview has best speed in Three Coins Up

A competitive field of 10 turf-meant runners, including a handful of top-notch New York-breds and some graded stakes types returning from layoffs, will line up for Sunday’s Three Coins Up, a $100,000 overnight stakes scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on grass.

The one to catch is Plainview, who was running for $20,000 last year but is in the midst of a terrific 5-year-old season for trainer Greg DiPrima. A run-and-gun specialist, Plainview comes off what was perhaps the finest performance of his career in defeat, a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Knickerbocker Stakes to Za Approval, who was subsequently second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Plainview will be reunited with Jose Ortiz, who rode the gelding once before for an end-to-end score over starter-optional company at Saratoga.

“Usually, he opens up by five and holds on, but [that day] he sat two in front and re-broke at the sixteenth pole and took off again,” DiPrima said. “It was the first time he ever did that. Jose said he was relaxed the whole way.”

Plainview could feel some early pressure in this matchup from Abilio, a three-time winner over the Big A turf, who set the early pace in the Mohawk Stakes before winding up fourth.

Three others exit the Mohawk, most notably Lubash, the hard-knocking veteran who was clearly second best behind favored King Kreesa. “Very honest, always tries,” trainer Christophe Clement said of Lubash, who is winless since taking the Fort Marcy in stakes-record time back in early May.

Kharafa sputtered after chasing wide in the Mohawk, but prior to that led throughout in the Ashley T. Cole.

“He’s at his best stalking,” trainer Tim Hills said. “In the A.T. Cole, you couldn’t find any other speed in the race, even if you used your imagination, so he ended up on the lead and was given a brilliant ride by [Javier] Castellano.”

Some rain earlier in the week could help Kharafa, who won big over yielding turf at Aqueduct last fall.

Bombaguia, second to Lubash in the Fort Marcy, makes his first start since the Manhattan Handicap on the Belmont Stakes undercard. He has turned in some sharp workouts for John Kimmel.

Clear Attempt and Compliance Officer, one-two in last year’s Poker Stakes, renew hostilities. Clear Attempt has been sidelined since then and has been working regularly at Saratoga for Bill Mott, who has long been among the top layoff conditioners in the game.