Back from injury, McCarthy tries New York full time

The $100,000 Bay Ridge scheduled for Friday at Aqueduct did not attract enough entries to leave the station. On the flip side, jockey Trevor McCarthy has pulled into the Big A as scheduled.

The Bay Ridge, a 1 1/8-mile stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares, will be brought back next weekend. Its absence leaves a first-level optional-claiming race for 2-year-old fillies and a statebred allowance as the top races on the card.

McCarthy and jockey agent Steve Rushing will be teaming up in New York on a full-time basis beginning Friday. Rushing also represents Irad Ortiz Jr., who holds a healthy lead atop the Aqueduct jockey standings.

Rushing has previously brought Edgar Prado and Ramon Dominguez to New York from Maryland. Both went on to earn spots in the Hall of Fame.

McCarthy, 23, led the Maryland jockey colony by wins in 2014 and 2016 and has won six meet titles at Laurel Park and Pimlico. He has been sidelined with a shoulder injury since a May spill at Monmouth Park.

To prepare for his comeback, McCarthy has been galloping horses at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida since early December. He tuned up for his New York debut with seven mounts at Gulfstream Park last week.

“I’m very excited and looking forward to getting this started,” McCarthy said. “My shoulder is fine, my timing feels good. Once I started getting on horses, I got ready a lot quicker than I thought.”

McCarthy is 10 for 77 in his career at Aqueduct. He won the Grade 3 Jerome and Grade 3 Withers aboard El Areeb in early 2017.

“It’s nice going in that I kind of know the other riders from shipping in and from around the Mid-Atlantic,” McCarthy said. “Not the trainers as much, but I am looking forward to meeting everyone.”

McCarthy has three Friday mounts. He rides Alpha Team for David Jacobson in race 4, Mydadfloyd for Bruce Alexander in race 6, and Ethan Hunt for John Toscano Jr. in race 7. On the morning line, Alpha Team is 9-5, Mydadfloyd is 5-1, and Ethan Hunt is 3-1.

Although this week’s weather is frigid, the 2-year-old optional-claiming race, slotted as race 3, offers a warm-weather matchup among Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown, and Rudy Rodriguez.

Rodriguez’s entrant, Wall of Compassion, is cross-entered in the Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel on Saturday. She was second in her last start to another promising Rodriguez filly, Strategic Dreams. Wall of Compassion chased her stablemate throughout the 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer and was beaten 3 1/4 lengths. Strategic Dreams is now 2 for 3.

The added distance of Friday’s one-mile race should suit Wall of Compassion, who will be ridden by Kendrick Carmouche.

Pletcher’s entrant, Incleveland, finished sixth first time out in a Belmont Park turf race but rebounded with a two-turn victory at Parx on Nov. 19. She showed improved speed that day and is dangerous shortening up to a one-turn mile. Manny Franco rides.

Wealth Effect will be making her main-track debut following three grass races for Brown. She won her second start in a $75,000 maiden-claiming race and then finished a closing third going a mile at Aqueduct. Ortiz picks up the mount.