There’s been one constant with El Grande O as summer has turned to late fall in New York – he’s breaking from the rail post. It was the case at Saratoga, and it was the case at the Belmont at Big A meet. And it again will be the case Saturday as El Grande O has drawn the fence for the Grade 3, $250,000 Elite Power at Aqueduct. “Every time we run him,” quipped trainer Linda Rice. “It’s okay. I would prefer not to be on it, but it is what it is.” The Elite Power is a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up and the second of six stakes on Cigar Mile Day. Grade 3 winner Full Moon Madness is part of the field for the Elite Power, which also drew a supplement in De Francis Dash winner Subrogate. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. El Grande O will be starting from the rail for the third time in a row Saturday. The fence draws began in late August, for an allowance sprint at Saratoga in which he was declared a non-starter after the stewards ruled he was “not afforded a fair start.” El Grande O ran back Oct. 9 at Aqueduct and rallied for a head win in an allowance sprint for which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 100. He returns Saturday as part of a field of six. “He ran his fastest lifetime number” last out, Rice said, “and we just felt we wanted to give him enough time to recover off of that effort. So, I believe he’s had about 60 days, had some nice workouts in between, and we’ll give it a go.” El Grande O has made a total of four career starts from the rail and in one of those outs won the Sleepy Hollow at a mile in 2023 at Aqueduct. Flavien Prat has the task of working out a trip from the fence Saturday. “I like the fact that he’ll stalk,” Rice said of El Grande O. “He rates beautifully. He seems to like to have a target in front of him and is pretty versatile.” Earlier in his career, El Grande O ran second in both the Jerome and Grade 3 Withers as part of the Kentucky Derby trail in New York, but in the last year has made his mark sprinting. “I was amazed at how successful he was at a mile,” Rice said. “Even a mile and a sixteenth, a mile and an eighth, he ran well – very courageous efforts from a horse who was probably better meant to be a sprinter. So, he’s got a lot of try in him, and he gives it the old college try every time you run.” El Grande O races for Barry Schwartz. Rice also will saddle Acoustic Ave, a three-time stakes winner coming off a third-place finish in the Hudson at Aqueduct. “He’s run very well for us,” Rice said. “I thought his last race he was a little too far off the pace. I’d like to see him a little closer, and hopefully he can rebound with this next effort.” Acoustic Ave will start from post 3. Jose Lezcano has the mount for A Bianco Holding Limited. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.