Favorites both proven in the mud

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Stakes winners Alysweep and Super Fuse have demonstrated an ability to handle sloppy tracks, which could be key in Saturday's $75,000-added Best Turn Stakes at Aqueduct.

It appears New York is in for more wild weather. After a blizzard earlier this week, rain and wind is expected Saturday.

Eight 3-year-olds were entered in the six-furlong Best Turn, which for some could serve as a steppingstone to the $200,000 Gotham, a mile race on March 16.

Alysweep and Florida invader Super Fuse will vie for favoritism in the Best Turn.

Alysweep, trained by Pat Reynolds, has the advantage of having raced over the inner track, where he won three consecutive starts by comfortable margins, including the Fred "Cappy" Capossela Stakes on Jan. 20.

Super Fuse is not entirely unfamiliar with Aqueduct. Last November, he won the Huntington Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths on the main track in the slop.

Trained by Richard Ciardullo Jr., Super Fuse was scheduled to fly here on Thursday. Ciardullo opted to skip last Saturday's Hutcheson at Gulfstream because he said Super Fuse doesn't care for that track. He finished fifth as the favorite in the Spectacular Bid on Jan. 3 at Gulfstream, but rebounded to win the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 18.

"He's really doing good and ready to run well," Ciardullo said. "I really hope that it turns into an advantage for us that he has been able to train - it's been harder to do that [in New York] because of the weather."

Super Fuse's regular rider, Carlos Gonzalez, has the mount from post 6.

Reynolds had to send Alysweep to the jogging barn for a couple of days when Belmont's training track was closed earlier this week. Alysweep was sharp Thursday in a half-mile work in 47.03 seconds, which tied for the fastest of 57 works at the distance.

"He still has residual fitness between his three back-to-back races," Reynolds said. "He will be tough to handle."

Richard Migliore rides Alysweep, who drew post 2.

After winning a maiden race and an allowance race, Y.V. Five tackles stakes company Saturday.

"He gives what he needs to win, but I don't know yet how good he is," Y.V. Five's trainer, Carlos Morales, said.

Trainer John Scanlan and owner Daniel Borislow, the connections behind top 3-year-old Toccet, entered recent allowance winner Mustbinthefrontrow, who won his last start at Laurel despite his rider losing his whip at the eighth pole.

Desert Warrior, unsuccessful in graded company last year, makes his seasonal debut for D. Wayne Lukas.

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