Donk finds nice spot for first-time gelding Just Clarity's return

Just Clarity was a perfect-trip winner of his last start, sitting fourth behind a three-ply speed duel before eventually running by that trio of leaders. Yet, not everything was perfect about Just Clarity himself.

Friday, when Just Clarity returns from a two-month layoff in a starter allowance/optional $50,000 claiming race at Aqueduct, he will do so as a first-time gelding.

“I thought his testicles bothered him,” trainer David Donk said. “It was something I was contemplating doing at some point. He was always kind of mean, he wasn’t happy. [Last fall], I was looking to run him one more time and do it.”

Donk believes gelding the horse has changed Just Clarity’s demeanor significantly.

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“He’s a much happier horse now,” Donk said. “I thought it was in his best interests and everyone else’s to do it.”

Just Clarity’s Nov. 23 win going six furlongs in the mud – conditions that may be in play Friday given the forecast – did come after sound defeats in maiden special weight company sprinting on dirt then routing on turf. As a return race goes, this doesn’t look like an overly tough field.

“He got a decent number when he broke his maiden. I think he’s pretty well-suited to this group,” Donk said.

Sahin Civaci rides Just Clarity from post 3 with two speed types inside of him.

Western Wolf, one of those speed horses, won a maiden $50,000 claiming race by 6 1/4 lengths in the slop on Nov. 22. In his next start, he was pulled up by jockey Dylan Davis early in the race after shying from something and hitting the rail.

“It was the first time he wasn’t on the lead, he started looking to the right like something was coming at him and he wanted to make a left-hand turn,” trainer Mitch Friedman said.

Friedman said the horse came back from that incident physically fine. Friedman is putting blinkers on the horse and had Lane Luzzi work him in them before this race.

“He said he went great,” Friedman said. “He’s got to come out of there running. It’s supposed to be a wet track, which I know he relishes.”

Tapwrits Temper won a maiden $30,000 claimer on Nov. 14. That race proved productive with one horse winning and three running second in their subsequent starts. Tapwrits Temper was one of the horses who finished second, doing so behind next-out winner Chipotle in this condition. Tapwrits Temper ran again, finishing fourth going one mile, and now cuts back to six furlongs for trainer Wayne Potts.

Vamonos Vamonos finished second to Tapwrits Temper on Nov. 14, then came back to run second for New York-bred maiden $25,000 claiming before winning that condition by 5 1/4 lengths on Jan. 18. He is now coming back in 11 days off a career-best 71 Beyer Speed Figure and has to contend with a rail draw.

Tycoon Mogul is a wild card in this field. He made his first two starts for Carlos David at Gulfstream Park on synthetic. In his second start, a maiden $17,5000 claiming event, he broke three lengths slow yet overcame it to win by a neck.

Tycoon Mogul has since been transferred to Jamie Ness and will now make his first start on dirt.

Sobieski and Strand Road are also in with a chance in arguably the most competitive race on the card.

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