Great Intentions is classiest

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Great Intentions should kick off her 4-year-old campaign much better than she ended her 3-year-old season when she heads a field of six entered in Saturday's $65,000 Correction Handicap at Aqueduct.

Great Intentions, who won the Grade 2 First Flight Handicap in October, enters the Correction off a sixth-place finish as the favorite in the Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita on New Year's Eve. Great Intentions had the misfortune of catching a sealed, extremely wet track that day, one she just didn't seem to handle.

"That's what the rider told me after the race," trainer Mike Hushion said. "Everybody there says that's a horrendous track when it gets like that."

Hushion was all ready to wheel Great Intentions back in the What a Summer Stakes at Laurel on Jan. 21, but Great Intentions hit herself in a work prior to that race and was scratched. Hushion was hoping to use that as a prep for the Barbara Fritchie Handicap at Laurel, but now will use the Correction as a prep because the Barbara Fritchie is likely to be postponed to the second week in March because of the herpesvirus outbreak in Maryland.

came back from a muscle injury in the winter to have a tremendous fall, winning three races. If Great Intentions is able to duplicate any of those efforts, she should win the Correction handily.

Following a seven-month freshening, Great Intentions won an allowance race by seven lengths, dead-heated with Reunited to win the Oh What a Windfall, and took the First Flight by three. In her next start, Reunited won the Grade 3 Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland.

Hushion has been pleased with how Great Intentions has bounced back from her cross-country trip.

"The last week, she seems to have gotten even a little better; she's put on some weight," he said.

Great Intentions, the 118-pound highweight, will break from post 3 under Eibar Coa. She figures to stalk the pace - likely to be set by Speed Bag - and will get first jump on the late-running Acey Deucey.

, winner of last July's Grade 1 Prioress, makes her second start off a layoff. Her trainer, John Morrison, believes she is doing better now than she was leading up to the Garland of Roses, a race in which she finished seventh. Alan Garcia replaces Diane Nelson, who is recovering from back surgery.

"I think he'll fit her really well," Morrison said. "She's not a big filly so you can't go with a stout rider. I'm hopeful this is a good match."

Schemer, , and Magnolia Jackson complete the field.