Aqueduct: Repole well stocked for Friday sprint feature

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Que Posse and Driven by Solar, both returning from lengthy layoffs, head an interesting field of older sprinters entered in Friday’s $64,000 featured second-level optional $50,000 claiming race at Aqueduct.

Eight horses were entered in the six-furlong race, but three of them – Driven by Solar, Overcommunication, and Starforaday – are part of a three-ply entry from owner Mike Repole. On Wednesday, Repole said he planned to run Driven by Solar and Overcommunication.

In the winter of 2009-10, Driven by Solar won 5 of 6 races – all over the inner track – before running into Giant Ryan in a couple of New York-bred stakes. Driven by Solar went to the sidelines following a third-place finish in a New York-bred turf allowance race – won by Compliance Officer, who went on to win four stakes. Driven by Solar, being offered for the $50,000 claiming price, has worked well leading up to his return.

Mike Luzzi rides Driven by Solar from post 4.

Overcommunication returned from an 11-month layoff to run third in a similar spot as this on Feb. 24.

Que Posse, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, has not run since finishing fourth in this condition last summer at Saratoga. A son of Posse, Que Posse has a steady work tab for his return. Eddie Castro rides.

“We just freshened him up,” said Art Magnuson, assistant to Kiaran McLaughlin. “He looks great, big and round. He’s training super. We were really kind of excited about him and then we saw how tough this race is.”

Starforaday, the third part of Repole’s entry, is not expected to start. His trainer, Bruce Levine will still be represented in the race by Spirit of Cochise, who returns from an October layoff.

Owners Roddy Valente and Thomas Lemme claimed Spirit of Cochise for $40,000 last summer at Hollywood Park. The 7-year-old Spirit of Cochise won 2 of 7 starts last year and comes out of a third-place finish behind Zero Rate Policy – a subsequent stakes winner – last October at Belmont.

“He came up with something I had to give him some time,” Levine said. “He’s 7 now, I need to run him where I think he fits. He runs well fresh. I think that’s where he belongs.”

Spirit of Cochise might hook up early with one of Levine’s former charges, Hewitts, or Driven by Solar.

Hear Heart Hoof, who has finished second in five of his last seven starts, including the Hollie Hughes Stakes last out, has tactical speed and could work out a sweet trip under Junior Alvarado.

De Price, second in the same race in which Overcommunication finished third, completes the field.