Dutrow hoping Over and Ollie can rebound after two duds
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Rarely does trainer Rick Dutrow think his horses won’t run a big race. Over and Ollie is that rare individual that gives Dutrow cause for pause when it comes to his confidence level.
Friday, Over and Ollie returns to what he does best – sprinting – in Aqueduct’s featured conditioned allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs. But given Over and Ollie’s last-place finishes in his two most recent starts, both stakes, Dutrow tempered his enthusiasm.
“He’s a very hard horse for me to read,” Dutrow said. “I liked him in his last couple of races. I thought he had good chances. He was doing super going into those races, just never showed up.”
Still, it has to be noted that the last two allowance races in which Over and Ollie started and finished – he did unseat the rider one time – he has won. Both races were at 6 1/2 furlongs and both came when Over and Ollie raced on Lasix, anti-bleeding medication not permitted in stakes races.
Over and Ollie was not able to race on Lasix in the Toboggan in February and the Native Dancer, a 1 1/8-mile race at Laurel on April 4.
“I hope that he bounces back and runs big, he certainly can,” Dutrow said. “He’s already won this kind of race here so we’re hoping for him to bounce back the right way.”
On Dec. 27, Over and Ollie won a similar race as this by three-quarters of a length over Bold Journey. Two starts later, Bold Journey won the Grade 3 Tom Fool. Bold Journey is trained by Bill Mott who on Friday sends out T Kraft in this allowance.
T Kraft reeled off three straight wins sprinting on dirt against 3-year-olds at Aqueduct in the winter of 2025, including a victory in the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes. He finished his campaign with two unsuccessful starts in graded stakes.
On April 26, T Kraft came off a nine-month layoff in a conditioned allowance on turf where he finished fourth, beaten 2 1/4 lengths. He now goes back to dirt for his second start off a layoff.
Several horses in this field look to have been entered more for the condition than the distance of the race. Money Supply was one of those and on Wednesday trainer David Jacobson said he plans to scratch the 7-year-old and point to a different spot.
Tuscan Sky spent most of his 4-year-old campaign running long on dirt, though he made one start on turf. However, he began his career with a maiden victory sprinting on dirt in the mud at Aqueduct in January 2024.
Flavien Prat rides Tuscan Sky for trainer Todd Pletcher from an outside draw.
Raise the Barn, in his first start for trainer Chad Brown, ran third in a similar spot as this. Brown is removing blinkers from the equipment of the 4-year-old son of Maclean’s Music.
El Grande O, trained by Linda Rice, comes out of a neck victory in a match race that was run at a similar level to this on April 2.
Antonucci back for more
Trainer Jean Antonucci won the first race for 2-year-olds on this circuit this year when the colt Goodbye to Romance galloped to a 3 1/4-length victory here last Friday.
Antonucci will look to win the first race for 2-year-old fillies on this circuit this year when she sends out Outlaw Annie in Friday’s first. The five-furlong race drew five horses, but trainer Jeremiah Englehart said Wednesday that Twice the Life will have to scratch due to a hock infection.
Outlaw Annie, a daughter of Tiz the Law out of the debut winner Freudie Anne, shows a series of nice gate works leading to her debut. She is a half-sister to Munnings Express, who has gone 5 for 9 and has reeled off three straight victories.
“Looking forward to getting her going. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up running on the turf at some point, but it’s very appropriate to get her going in a five-furlong New York-bred dirt race,” Antonucci said.
Mallet Lady finished a well-beaten fourth on debut, though that came on the turf. She has since been transferred from trainer Ismael Bahena to Kenny McPeek.
Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out Beach Life, a daughter of Life Is Good out of the mare Achalaya, who has thrown the Grade 1 turf winner Casa Creed. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez sends out Miss Money Pants, a daughter of Central Banker.
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