Eye of a Soldier looking for cover

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Very little separated Eye of a Soldier and Windfall Profit the last two times they’ve met, with one finishing a neck in front of the other when finishing behind the winners in a pair of first-level allowance races during the fall meet at Belmont Park.

The two are again the protagonists in this same condition going one mile on turf Friday at Aqueduct. The 10-race card begins at 11:50 a.m.

On Sept. 23, Eye of a Soldier was a neck in front of Windfall Profit when the two finished third and fourth, respectively, behind Lashara. On Oct. 25, Windfall Profit finished a neck in front of Eye of a Soldier when the two were second and third, respectively, behind Capital Structure.

When it comes to trips, the connections of Eye of a Soldier are hoping for a bit of a different one than they got last time when Eye of a Soldier was on the lead early.

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“He wanted to get her covered up and he didn’t get the opportunity,” said Leana Willaford, the Belmont Park-based assistant to trainer Bill Mott. “You’d prefer that. She’s very strong, a little tough to train. She seems to be doing well.”

Eye of a Soldier has run four times in this condition with a second and three third-place finishes. Three starts back, she finished second behind Duopoly, who has since come back to win the Winter Memories Stakes at Aqueduct last weekend.

Willaford is hoping that in cutting back to a mile there could be more pace and Alvarado will have a little bit easier time getting Eye of a Soldier covered up.

In her last two starts going a mile, Windfall Profit was beaten a nose in a maiden race at Tampa on April 8 and a head behind Cost Benefit in June at Belmont.

Duopoly and Capital Structure are trained by Chad Brown. On Friday, Brown sends out Fierce Scarlett, who makes her first start since finishing second in this condition at Belmont on May 17.

In that Churchill race, Fierce Scarlett got bounced around at the break and was last early on. She made a five-wide move in the stretch, and though she struck the front in midstretch, Fierce Scarlett was passed by Temple City Terror. Fierce Scarlett was beaten two lengths by that rival while finishing 3 1/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field.

Fierce Scarlett is another who would benefit from a quick early pace.

Sun Summers, trained by Mike Maker, is a two-time winner going a mile, including a three-length score in a starter allowance at Churchill Downs on Sept. 18.

Short Pour, stepping out of New York-bred company, Gogo Shoes, R V Treasure, Fionnbharr, Una Luna, and Apurate complete the body of the field, which will be limited to 10 starters. There are three also-eligibles and three main track-only entrants.