Brown has solid contender in two allowances on Aqueduct Friday card

Dr Ardito and Key Point figure to be prominent in a couple of allowance races restricted to New York-breds on Friday at Aqueduct. Trained by Chad Brown, both horses are stepping up a condition following impressive wins. The eight-race card begins at 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

Dr Ardito goes first in race 6, where the 4-year-old gelding by Liam’s Map will be going for the hat trick in a second-level allowance race. The one-mile race that includes a $45,000 claiming option drew six horses.

Dr Ardito is perfect at the one-mile distance. He won a New York-bred maiden special by 3 3/4 lengths last April 21, and following a lengthy layoff he again drew off in the stretch to win a first-level statebred allowance Feb. 24 by a similar margin.

In his only other start, Dr Ardito rallied to finish second in his debut going six furlongs running over a sloppy track.

Dr Ardito does his best running late, but he was pretty close to the pace in his latest victory, likely due to the slow fractions being set. It showed he is versatile, and he should have speed to run at Friday.

With just three starts, Dr Ardito should have plenty of upside, and Brown appears to have him primed for another big effort. He also should get a nice trip breaking from post 5 with Manny Franco aboard. Franco was his rider in all three of his races, which were over the local surface, so we know he likes Aqueduct.

The Rob Atras-trained Seven Lilies looks like a serious threat off his runner-up finish going seven furlongs at the same level on Feb. 20. The 7-year-old gelding by Rattlesnake Bridge has not won a race longer than seven furlongs, but the 93 Beyer Speed Figure he received for his nose loss at this level Dec. 17 at Aqueduct is the best in the field at the distance.

Seven Lilies breaks from post 2 and should be heard from late with Dylan Davis riding.

Thorny Tale is a nine-time winner and could be dangerous if he can get the jump on the other speed. However, Daddy Knows and Invest will likely make his task difficult.

Key Point makes his anticipated return in the last race, the eighth, scheduled for 5:01 p.m. Eastern. He is the only 3-year-old among the seven horses entered in a first-level allowance race that will be contested at 6 1/2 furlongs.

A Jeff Drown homebred son of Into Mischief, Key Point was favored to win a New York-bred maiden special weight race when he debuted Aug. 12 at Saratoga, and he did not disappoint, drawing off in the stretch to win the six-furlong dash by 3 1/4 lengths with Jose Ortiz riding. He earned an 82 Beyer Speed Figure, an excellent number for a New York-bred 2-year-old in August.

Key Point did most things right. He broke alertly and stalked an honest pace before drawing off in the stretch while racing a bit erratically.

It was an impressive performance and with Brown giving him plenty of time to mature, the lightly-raced colt could be sitting on a big effort in his first start as a 3-year-old. Key Point’s solid set of works also suggest he will come back with a strong performance. He will break from post 5 with Franco picking up the mount.

The Jamie Ness-owned and -trained Kid d’Oro looks dangerous off back-to-back romps at Parx Racing with Ruben Silvera riding.

The 6-year-old gelding by Lemon Drop Kid won a $15,000 conditional claimer at mile and 70 yards by 9 1/2 lengths on Feb. 15. He showed it was no fluke when he received a career-best 88 Beyer for his 8 1/2-length blowout in a $16,000 starter handicap going 6 1/2 furlongs over a sealed track rated good March 9.

In his only two starts at Aqueduct, he was the runner-up in a New York-bred maiden special weight race in his first start as a 4-year-old in 2020 and won at the same level in his next start. He will break from post 3 with Silvera aboard.