OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After a terrific 3-year-old campaign, Fingal’s Cave has been missing in action at 4. Thursday, the talented filly returns from a 432-day layoff in the $100,000 Bay Ridge Stakes for New York-bred females at Aqueduct. Fingal’s Cave, a daughter of Carpe Diem trained by David Donk, won her first four career starts – including the $200,000 Fleet Indian Stakes – by a combined 21 3/4 lengths. In October 2022, she stepped up into graded company for the first time and finished second, beaten four lengths, by Wicked Halo in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland. Fingal’s Cave came out of the race with some mild bone bruising. Shortly after getting started in training, Fingal’s Cave developed foot problems that further delayed her return. Donk said Fingal’s Cave got her training started at WinStar Farm before coming to him earlier this fall. “She was in very good condition when she came to me,” Donk said. “The works have been pretty easy for her.” :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Donk noted that the Dec. 16 work in which Fingal’s Cave worked five furlongs in 1:00.66 out of the gate over the Belmont training track, “she galloped out a really good three-quarters,” he said. “She handled really well, did it pretty comfortably.” Fingal’s Cave came back on Dec. 23 to work a half-mile in 49.81 seconds, just her fifth work since returning to Donk. “She’s about as ready as I can have her,” Donk said. Donk has limited stats with horses coming off as long a layoff as Fingal Cave is doing on Thursday. In three starts with horses returning from a layoff of more than 330 days, he is 1 for 3, the win coming with Double Shot in a $25,000 claimer in February 2022. Jose Lezcano rides Fingal’s Cave from post 2. Venti Valentine and Know It All Audrey, who finished one-two in last year’s Bay Ridge, are back in this year’s running. The one-turn-mile configuration of the Bay Ridge likely favors Venti Valentine, who in addition to winning the Bay Ridge here last year also won the Busher and the Maid of the Mist at a one-turn mile. Venti Valentine, trained by Jorge Abreu for NY Final Furlong Racing and Parkland Thoroughbreds, will break from post 3 under Manny Franco. Know It All Audrey beat Venti Valentine handily on Oct. 29 in the Empire Distaff, going 1 1/8 miles around two turns. “I’m okay with her at the one-turn mile. She posted her career-high Beyers at that distance,” said Oscar Barrera III, the trainer of Know It All Audrey. “A mile and an eighth is more to her liking because most of the fillies can’t get the mile and an eighth and that’s the distance for her.” Barrera said that after the Bay Ridge, he plans to wheel Know It All Audrey back on eight days’ rest in the Ladies Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 6. Bustin Bay wheeled back off a terrible race on Nov. 25 to run second to favored Morning Matcha in a division of the New York Stallion Series on Dec. 3. Bustin Bay, trained by Linda Rice, did finish first in an open second-level allowance on Oct. 27 only to be disqualified for being deemed to have had an advantage by having beat the field out of the starting gate. Cairo Sugar, who won the Maddie May Stakes here at 27-1 in February when trained by Alan Bedard, makes her third start for Abreu. Sweetie and Sweet Mystery complete the field. The Bay Ridge goes as race 7 on an eight-race card that begins at 12:50 p.m. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.