Joevia returns in competitive sprint

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While the stakes-winning Joevia may be the name horse in Friday’s second-level allowance/optional-claiming feature at Aqueduct, he is far from the only contender in the 6 1/2-furlong race for older males.

Joevia, who won the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park last May, is making his first start since he finished a close third in the Belmont Stakes last June. A foot injury forced him to scratch from the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth in July and also sent him to the sidelines for the remainder of his 3-year-old season.

On Friday, he will face older horses for the first time, including the solid pair of Mr. Dougie Fresh and Identity Politics. He was scheduled to face the stakes-winning Call Paul, but that horse is expected to scratch, according to trainer Jason Servis. The Sicarii, a recent winner for $40,000 claiming, also could scratch as he was re-entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan Stakes.

Mr. Dougie Fresh, a 6-year-old who has won six races, is making his first start since Rudy Rodriguez claimed the gelding for $62,500 here from Servis on Dec. 12. That day, Mr. Dougie Fresh finished second to Payne. That race was at one mile. Friday, Mr. Dougie Fresh is shortening up to 6 1/2 furlongs, a distance at which he won this same condition at Belmont last May, earning a career-best Beyer Speed figure of 96. He ran in the slop that day.

“He’s solid,” said Rodriguez, who trains Mr. Dougie Fresh for Mike Repole. “He always tries. It’s going to be tough because Jason is tough to claim from, but the horse looks like he’s in pretty good shape. Hopefully, cutting back will be good for him. He’s a useful horse.”

Mr. Dougie Fresh will break from post 2 under Jose Lezcano.

Identity Politics, trained by Chad Brown, is still searching for his form from late in his 3-year-old year of 2018 when he was talented enough to run second to McKinzie in the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita. In 2019, at age 4, Identity Politics went 1 for 6, and he is winless in three tries in this condition. He ran third behind Payne and Mr. Dougie Fresh last out going a mile, and perhaps will appreciate the cutback to 6 1/2 furlongs. Identity Politics breaks from post 4 under Manny Franco.

Trainer Gregg Sacco said he has been pleased with how Joevia has been training for his return. On Sunday, he worked four furlongs in 47.40 seconds out of the gate in company with another horse. He was talented enough to win his debut sprinting at Monmouth as a 2-year-old and was beaten only a neck by Haikal in the seven-furlong Jimmy Winkfield Stakes 11 months ago. However, the bulk of his success has come in races run around two turns.

Junior Alvarado rides Joevia from post 6.

Seethisquick twice finished second in this condition, and both horses that beat him came back to win their next start, including Happy Farm, who won the Grade 3 Fall Highweight and, most recently, was second to Firenze Fire in the Gravesend.

Proschema and Puttheglassdown complete the field.