Bold Union to exit in inner-track opener

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - All the major races have been run. The big horses from the high-profile outfits have gotten or will soon be getting on vans headed to the warmer climes of south Florida. But at Aqueduct, where crisp winds blow briskly off the Jamaica Bay, the show will go on.

For the next four months - through March 28, 2010 - New York racing will be conducted over Aqueduct's winterized inner track. That's 75 scheduled cards, minus however many Mother Nature decides to eliminate. The one-mile configuration of the inner track means all sprint races will be conducted at six furlongs and the majority of two-turn races will be run at a mile and 70 yards and 1 1/16 miles. Turf racing is scheduled to go through Sunday, though weather could derail those plans.

Though the New York Racing Association plans to make several changes to its stakes schedule in 2010, P.J. Campo, NYRA's vice president/director of racing, said the schedule for the first quarter of the year would virtually remain intact. The 3-year-old program consists of the Count Fleet and Whirlaway, typically held the first weekend of January and February, respectively. The Gotham Stakes will be run at 1 1/16 miles over the inner track on March 6, four weeks before the Wood Memorial is run on April 3 over the main track. NYRA's board of trustees was scheduled to meet Wednesday to firm up the 2010 stakes schedule.

The board will also take up the issue of purse cuts, which are likely to be put in place beginning Jan. 1. The cuts figure to be in the 5 too7 percent range.

Wednesday's card, which includes a $50,137 pick-six carryover, has seven sprints and two turf races scheduled. The day's feature is the $65,000 Tate Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. Bold Union, a four-time stakes winner, is scheduled to make her final career start here for owners George and Lori Hall and trainer Kelly Breen. She will have to deal with other speed types early, but she could be the speed of the speed.

"I'm not going to say we're the fastest of the speed, but we're going to try and be," said Breen, who has Joe Bravo to ride.

Boodles, who is 3 for 3 for trainer Tony Dutrow, figures to use her speed from post 2 under David Cohen. A potential off-the-pace play could be Noisy Feet, who just missed in the Miss Woodford at Monmouth. She is reunited with two-time inner track kingpin Ramon Dominguez, who was aboard for Noisy Feet's maiden win 16 months ago at Monmouth.