Blewitt meets wild card in Crackspeed

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When the New York-bred Blewitt steps into open company for the second time in his career, the horse he may have to beat will be the Argentine-bred Crackspeed, who will make his U.S. debut in a first-level allowance at Aqueduct that serves as the feature on the nine-race card.

Blewitt, a 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo named by owner Mike Repole for Gulfstream Park on-air racing analyst Jason Blewitt, is coming off a two-length victory in a New York-bred second-level allowance on Feb. 17.

That race, at 1 1/8 miles, was Blewitt’s first start in eight weeks and he switched back to his left lead late in that race, perhaps an indication he was tiring. Friday’s race is also at 1 1/8 miles.

Blewitt, who breaks from post 5 in the six-horse field for trainer Todd Pletcher under leading rider Manny Franco, is coupled in the wagering with Storm Prophet, also owned by Repole but trained by Rudy Rodriguez. Storm Prophet was claimed for $40,000 last time out and breaks from post 2 under Dylan Davis.

Crackspeed, sent up from Florida by trainer Christophe Clement, is the unknown factor in this field.

Crackspeed is an Argentine-bred son of Easing Along, a former Phipps family-owned runner who won his first two career starts at Aqueduct in what turned out to be an injury-plagued career.

Crackspeed went 2 for 6 in Argentina and twice finished second in Group 1 stakes there. He has not run since last July, but has been in the United States since late last summer after Earle Mack acquired him and sent him to Bruce Jackson at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. He has breezed 11 times at Payson Park for Clement.

“He looks well, he’s a sound horse, he seems to be willing to go long,” Clement said.

Clement said that Crackspeed has trained in blinkers and he believes he has worn them in at least a few of his previous races. He will run in blinkers Friday. He also will race on Lasix for the first time.

Jose Lezcano rides.

Prompt, Here Comes Tommy, and Cause I’m Alex complete the field for what will go as race 2.

Later on the card, several horses Blewitt beat last time out will reunite in a second-level optional $40,000 claimer for New York-breds that goes as race 8.

Friday’s race is a one-turn mile, as opposed to the two-turn, 1 1/8-mile race many of these raced in last time.

Carthon, trained by Gary Sciacca, will likely try to wire this field under Eric Cancel from post 2.

“I’d rather go a little farther, but he ought to run good, he’s training well,” Sciacca said.

Bluegrascat’s Smile, a runner-up three straight times in this condition, and Local Counsel, fourth in this condition last out, are others to consider in this competitive eight-horse field.

First post Friday is 1:30 p.m.

*An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the distance of this race as one mile.*