Come Dancing stepping up in Interborough Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Weather permitting, there will be a nine-race card Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, at Aqueduct, topped by the $100,000 Interborough Stakes for female sprinters, which drew a large, competitive field of 10.

Come Dancing, who has won both of her career starts – albeit 13 months apart – will step into stakes company for the first time for trainer Carlos Martin. Come Dancing won her career debut at Aqueduct on Nov. 6, 2016, by 3 1/2 lengths but was subsequently sidelined by a fractured pastern that required surgery.

She returned to the races last month, winning a first-level allowance race by 6 1/2 lengths. She was able to get in a solid five-furlong workout in 1:01.20 on Wednesday, and Irad Ortiz Jr. will return to New York from Florida to ride the 4-year-old Malibu Moon filly.

Come Dancing drew post 6.

Divine Miss Grey, coming off a strong second-level allowance victory going a one-turn mile Dec. 10, could be favored from post 4. The others entered are Boule, Heavenly Score, Lucky N Ethel, Alpine Sky, Going for Broke, Inconclusive, Kalabaka, and Littlemissbusiness.

Monday’s card also will include the $100,000 Damon Runyon Stakes for 3-year-old New York-bred males. The race was originally scheduled for Dec. 30, a card that was canceled after the fourth race.

The Damon Runyon lost major players Audible and Sea Foam but still has a seven-horse field led by Battle Station, Jaye Jaye, and Empire Line.

◗ Heavy fog forced the cancellation of the last seven races on Friday’s card, the ninth straight racing day that either all or part of a card was canceled due to weather.

Among the races canceled Friday was the $100,000 La Verdad Stakes for New York-bred female sprinters. That race will be rescheduled for Jan. 19, as will the Alex M. Robb for New York-bred males going 1 1/8 miles. The Robb has been canceled twice previously due to weather. Entries for both races will be taken Sunday.