Central Park a tougher race for Ashraq if switched to dirt

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There were still patches of snow on the Aqueduct turf courses Wednesday afternoon, and though dry conditions were forecast Thursday, it still seems improbable that Friday’s $100,000 Central Park Stakes for 2-year-olds remains on the turf.

The Central Park, tabbed at 1 1/16 miles on turf, was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving Day, but that card was canceled due to high winds. Only seven of the original 12 entered for grass on Thanksgiving were entered back. On dirt, the Central Park would be run as a one-turn mile.

Trainer Michael Pino wants to try Ashraq on the turf, but will most likely run him on the dirt. Ashraq, a Shadwell Farm homebred son of Medaglia d’Oro, won his debut on dirt going a two-turn mile at Parx on Nov. 12. Pino believes the ridgling has a turf pedigree. His dam, Tanaami, won on turf and she is a half-sister to the Grade 1-winning turf mare Alwajeeha.

“I was thinking the turf would move him up to the next level,” Pino said Wednesday. “I’ll probably run either way. I’d rather experiment with the turf at this stage. I think it’s a tougher race on the dirt.”

It could be. Trainer Todd Pletcher has entered the pair of Chase Tracker and Alpha Sixty Six only for the dirt in the Central Park. Both were entered back for Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen Stakes, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on dirt. As both are stakes, Pletcher can decide where and when to run either horse.

Chase Tracker, a son of Verrazano owned by St. Elias Stable, won his debut going seven furlongs at Parx on Sept. 21. His final time of 1:23.83 was 1.38 seconds slower than that of Independence Hall, who won the race immediately preceding that of Chase Tracker. The two met in the Grade 3 Nashua here on Nov. 3 with Independence Hall romping by 12 1/4 lengths and Chase Tracker, under Irad Ortiz Jr., finishing third, a length behind runner-up Meru.

“He ran a little green,” Byron Hughes, assistant to Pletcher, said Wednesday. “Irad said the same thing – he didn’t want to pass that horse for second.”

Chase Tracker will wear blinkers for the first time in the afternoon should he run in the Central Park. He has been training in blinkers.

“He seems a little more focused with the blinkers on,” Hughes said.

Conversely, Pletcher is removing the blinkers from Alpha Sixty Six, who won his debut at Belmont on Sept. 7 going 6 1/2 furlongs before finishing fifth, beaten 4 3/4 lengths by Tiz the Law, in the Grade 1 Champagne.

Prince of Pharoahs, a New York-bred son of American Pharoah trained by Linda Rice, won his maiden on dirt by five lengths at Belmont on Oct. 13.

If the Central Park is run on turf, it most certainly would be on the yielding side. That would likely benefit Pixelate, who won his maiden over yielding ground at Arlington on Sept. 1 before finishing a fast-closing second at 35-1 to Buy Land and Sea in the Awad Stakes over good ground at Belmont on Oct. 26.

Others entered for turf include Mo Ready, City Man, Homeland, Old Chestnut, and Mr. Kringle.