'Capeside' trying to stretch out

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Capeside Lady shoots for her third consecutive New York-bred stakes win in Wednesday's $75,000 East View at Aqueduct.

Capeside Lady is the likely favorite among seven 2-year-old fillies in the 1 1/16-mile East View, which originally was scheduled for last Sunday but postponed because of a snowstorm.

A winner of 3 of 4 starts for So Madcapt Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher, Capeside Lady stretches out to two turns for the first time. She won her career debut in a statebred maiden race at Saratoga on Aug. 7. In her next start, Capeside Lady finished last in the Grade 3 Sorority at Monmouth on Aug. 30. She bounced right back to win the restricted Joseph A. Gimma by nine lengths Sept. 28 at Belmont.

After stumbling badly at the start of the Maid of the Mist on Oct. 18 at Belmont, Capeside Lady quickly recovered and won by a neck. She finished the mile in a pokey 1:41.37, considerably slower than the 1:36.39 that Friends Lake, a 2-year-old colt, ran in the Sleepy Hollow one race later. Capeside Lady earned a 48 Beyer Speed Figure in the Maid of the Mist, down from the 86 she was assigned for her Gimma win.

Aqueduct's inner track often aids speed horses, such as Capeside Lady, who will be stretching out to two turns for the first time.

"She's obviously capable of putting herself in the race and getting [early] position," said Seth Benzel, Pletcher's assistant. "She can rate off the pace and make a run. She's a filly with a lot of scope, and another thing is that her mindset is good. She takes things in stride."

Richard Migliore, who won this race last year for Pletcher aboard Marc's Rainbow, rides Capeside Lady from post 3. Capeside Lady carries 122 pounds and will spot each of her rivals six pounds.

Wild Berry, a daughter of Wild Event, won her first start impressively in July and, two starts later, was the runaway winner of a first-level allowance race. She bombed in her last two starts in stakes, the Gimma and the Grade 3 Valley Stream, and hasn't raced beyond seven furlongs.

"I think the distance will help her because of her size and pedigree," said Mike Gorham, Wild Berry's trainer.

Sage's Fifty Six is the only horse in the field with a win around two turns. French Dish came from the clouds to win her first start sprinting and then finished second in a division of the New York Stallion Stakes.

Leedle Dee, Gold Flinger, and Clarksburg Queen complete the field.