Drexel Monorail on right track

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - If enough handicappers subscribe to the who-beat-who method, then Drexel Monorail will be the favorite in Thursday's $45,000 feature at Aqueduct, because she has already beaten six of her seven rivals in the second-level allowance sprint.

A 4-year-old Glitterman filly, Drexel Monorail returned from a short layoff on a thawing-out inner track earlier this month, and finished a close second despite bobbling at the start.

Finshing behind Drexel Monorail in that race were City Celebrations, Madam Rochas, We'll Sea Ya, and Niblick. Among that quartet, City Celebrations may have the best chance of turning the tables, because she finished just a length behind Drexel Monorail last time, and she beat Drexel Monorail last fall.

The task for those four doesn't figure to get any easier for the rematch. The last time Drexel Monorail was in a second-back-from-layoff situation she responded with a career-best performance to win her preliminary allowance condition at Delaware Park last fall for trainer Steve Klesaris.

Carnie's Dancer, who runs Thursdsay, finished second behind Drexel Monorail in that Oct. 19 dash as the 7-5 favorite.

In the money nine straight starts since claimed by Scott Lake, Carnie's Dancer breaks from the rail with apprentice Luis Chavez, and gets a favorable seven-pound weight shift from Drexel Monorail, who begins from post 4 with Shaun Bridgmohan.

Book Smart, the only member of the field that Drexel Monorail hasn't beaten, makes her first start since wiring a preliminary allowance at Delaware Park last May for Lake.

Now trained by Ron Taylor, the 6-year-old Book Smart was a two-time winner on Aqueduct's inner track earlier in her career, and has been working regularly at Philadelphia Park for her return.

Shamrock Blues, who was decisioned by Drexel Monorail going seven furlongs on the main track at Aqueduct's fall meet, completes the field.

Shawklit Mint points to Correction

Pat Reynolds, in the midst of a strong winter meet with seven wins, including stakes wins with Tom's Thunder and Alysweep, said there's a good shot Shawklit Mint will run in Saturday's $75,000-added Correction Handicap. Shawklit Mint posted a 108 Beyer Figure in winning an allowance race by nine lengths on Dec. 12, but then ran a distant fifth in the Interborough Handicap.

For want of a better explanation, Reynolds is chalking up Shawklit Mint's 14-length Interborough defeat to the bounce theory.

"As a trainer you like to look for something a little more concrete, but she just didn't pick her feet up," he said. "The jock said that after a quarter-mile she was empty."

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