Heavy ground would suit Balashkova in feature

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The two best races on Wednesday’s program at Aqueduct are scheduled for the turf. But with rain in the forecast Tuesday, there is a real possibility that one or both first-level allowance races could be moved to the dirt.

The fifth race is a $67,000 first-level allowance for fillies and mares scheduled for one mile on turf. If it remains on the grass, it will mark the North American debut for Balashkova, a French-bred daughter of Montjeu trained by Chad Brown.

In France, when with Jean-Claude Rouget, Balashkova won once from seven starts, the win being at a mile over heavy ground. The horse has been with Brown since late last year.

“She was almost ready to run at Gulfstream. She got a little sick – not bad – but we had to back off her and get her healthy,” Brown said. “It’s a good spot to get her started. She trains like she’ll run further than this, and her form will suggest that as well. She does have a mile win under her belt. I expect her not only to be competitive in this race but also to move forward out of it.”

John Velazquez is named to ride.

Tokyo Time and Minx are other contenders on turf.

There are four horses entered to run only if the race is transferred to the main track and run at a mile. Among those is Very Cherry Candy, who would be the horse to beat if she is permitted to run.

However, Very Cherry Candy is stabled in Aqueduct’s Barn 10, which remained under quarantine as of Monday after a horse stabled in that barn last week had to be euthanized and tested positive for a small presence of equine herpesvirus in one of its samples. Horses in that barn are not permitted to race until the quarantine is lifted.

If Very Cherry Candy scratches, Image of Anna likely would become the one to beat. After losing her first two starts, Image of Anna rolled to a 7 3/4-length victory in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race.

“She was disappointing. She trained like a nice horse in the morning, and I thought she’d win first time out,” trainer Rick Violette said. “It was just a matter of going longer and showing what she had been showing in the morning.”

The eighth race is a $57,000 first-level allowance race for New York-bred 3-year-olds scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf. Mental Iceberg won his debut at 32-1 last September on the Belmont turf but has been running on dirt ever since, twice finishing second at this level. Balderdash is the only other member of this field to have won on turf.

Frost Jordan and Fleet First are both entered to run if this race is moved to the dirt. They are both entered in a first-level dirt allowance race for 3-year-olds and up Friday as well.

Mike Hushion, the trainer of Frost Jordan, would prefer to run Wednesday, believing it’s an easier spot. Frost Jordan finished a troubled third behind Effinex and Tapitation – the latter also being in this field – in a March 23 allowance.

“He just didn’t have a great trip,” said Hushion, who is adding blinkers to Frost Jordan’s equipment because “he does so much looking around that he gets himself in trouble.”

Hushion said he has worked Frost Jordan in blinkers and believes it has “given him more direction.”