Aqueduct: Sliver and Onions can earn trip to Florida by winning Queens County

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – If Sliver and Onions doesn’t like the cold weather, Saturday’s $100,000 Queens County Stakes at potentially snowy Aqueduct affords him the opportunity to prove himself worthy of spending the remainder of the winter in south Florida.

Sliver and Onions, a 3-year-old gelding by Tiz Wonderful, makes his stakes debut against a modest quartet of rivals in the Queens County, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles over Aqueduct’s inner track. There is snow forecast, starting sometime mid-to-late afternoon which could impact the race, if not the entire card.

Since being gelded in late summer following a fifth-place finish in a Saratoga allowance race, Sliver and Onions has put forth two solid efforts. On Oct. 25, at Belmont, he finished third in a first-level allowance race before winning that condition by two lengths over Aqueduct’s main track Nov. 14. The first two finishers from the Belmont race – Long River and Mail – came back to win. Nevada Kid, the horse Sliver and Onions defeated Nov. 14, came back to win the $200,000 Claiming Crown Jewel last Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

“When we pointed for this race we were considering it a test for what the future really holds for him,” Mike Hushion, trainer of Sliver and Onions, said from Palm Meadows, where he has a small string based for the winter. “If he could beat this field, we could bring him on south and point for bigger and better things. If not, we could keep him up there and try to make as much money as we can for the winter.”

Hushion said he had Sliver and Onions gelded because he was “concerned with the way he was acting.”

In his last two starts, Sliver and Onions has raced with blinkers, but Hushion believes having him gelded is the primary reason he is more focused.

Sliver and Onions figures to be forwardly placed, breaking from the rail under Jose Oritz.

Sliver and Onions most likely will end up following Percussion, a 5-year-old gelding who does his best running when in front. Percussion has three wins, a second, and two thirds since being transferred to trainer Todd Pletcher.

“He’s not one that can only run well when he makes the lead, but that’s probably Plan A,” Pletcher said.

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Percussion from post 2.

Don Dulce, claimed three starts back for $100,000 by David Jacobson, has finished in front of Percussion in two consecutive overnight stakes and also is in this field. Don Dulce was beaten a neck by Bigger Is Bettor while finishing a neck in front of Percussion in the Slew o’ Gold Stakes last out.

“That’s why we claimed him, to have a nice mile-and-an-eighth horse,” Jacobson said. “These races generally come up easier. If you got a horse that can go a mile and an eighth you got to value it.”

Jacobson also entered Spa City Fever, who won two straight one-turn races in a seven-day span and would be making his third start in 17 days.

Jonesy Boy, coming off a second-level allowance win at Laurel on Oct. 31 for trainer Kelly Breen, completes the field.