Dominant Jeannes will try to rate in Aqueduct allowance

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – If Dominant Jeannes can rate, he figures to dominate Saturday’s second-level allowance feature at Aqueduct.

A 4-year-old son of Pleasantly Perfect, Dominant Jeannes has two wins from five career starts, but both came in gate-to-wire fashion. Tom Albertrani, who trains Dominant Jeannes for West Point Thoroughbreds, believes his horse may fare better if he has someone to follow.

“I don’t think there’s a problem putting him into any position,” Albertani said Thursday from south Florida. “If anything, he tends to be lazy and waits on horses when he’s in front. I think he’ll be much better off with a target.”

On Saturday, in a six-horse field that includes the speedy Writingonthewall and Hermosillo, Dominant Jeannnes figures to sit behind horses under Eddie Castro. The race will be run at a mile and 70 yards.

Dominant Jeannes won a first-level allowance race over the inner track on New Year’s Day. That was a good bounce-back effort after running last in the Grade 3 Discovery over the main track on Nov. 20. He was running in the Discovery just 13 days after he lost a narrow decision in a first-level allowance.

“It was coming back maybe a little quick,” Albertani said of the Discovery. “He’s still a horse that hopefully with more racing might mature a little bit and become a nice horse.”

Writingonthewall, who scratched out of the G’Day Mate Stakes on Thursday, makes his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher in this spot. He is one of four horses being offered for the optional claiming tag of $50,000.

Flat Bold may go in Tom Fool

Flat Bold, another Albertrani/West Point horse, could make his next start in the Grade 3, $150,000 Tom Fool Handicap here March 5.

On Jan. 28, Flat Bold won a third-level allowance race over the inner track by one length, running six furlongs in 1:09.92 and earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 96. That day, he demonstrated the ability to win a sprint race coming from off the pace.

“Ramon got along really well with him, and it was good to see him rate,” Albertrani said. “That was his best race. We’ll see how that race shapes up.”

Stakes doubleheader Sunday

The Busher Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, originally scheduled to be run Saturday but not carded, is now a go for Sunday as part of a stakes doubleheader with the $65,000 Rare Treat Stakes for older fillies and mares. Both races drew a field of five.

The Busher became a go for Sunday when the racing office learned it would be able to uncouple the Gary Contessa-trained pair of Portside and Vixen’s Roar. Though the horses share common ownership, no party owns 25 percent or more of both horses, which allow them to race as separate betting interests.

Portside and Vixen’s Roar are both coming out of maiden wins.

Dance Quietly, who won the Busanda for trainer Todd Pletcher, and It’s Tricky, who is 2 for 2 for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, are the ones to beat. Daring Reality, third in the Busanda, completes the field.

The distance of the Busher was reduced from a 1 1/16 miles to a mile and 70 yards, with the hopes of enticing another horse, though that did not work out.

Trainer Rick Violette helped make the Rare Treat go by supplementing Awesome Bull, a recent New York-bred allowance winner, to the field. Violette also entered Opus A, the 2009 East View Stakes winner who recently won a second-level statebred allowance.

Quiet Giant, a recent winner of two overnight stakes going a mile on the inner track, is strictly the horse to beat in the Rare Treat at 1 1/8 miles.

Dolce Pentimento, a winner of two consecutive races at Calder in November, completes the field.

Icabad Crane wins G’Day Mate

Icabad Crane won his second consecutive stakes race Thursday, rolling to a 2 1/4-length victory over Manteca in the $60,000 G’Day Mate Stakes for New York-breds.

With Rajiv Maragh in town from Florida, Icabad Crane rated in fifth position before tipping three wide around the far turn. Knowing Icabad Crane’s tendency to wait on horses, Maragh waited until inside the eighth pole to move past Manteca and draw off for the victory.

Icabad Crane, owned by Earle Mack and trained by Graham Motion, covered the mile and 70 yards in 1:41.63 and returned $3.50 as the heavy favorite.

Motion is now 3 for 3 at this meet – all stakes wins – with Icabad Crane winning this and the Alex M. Robb and Toby’s Corner taking the Whirlaway.