Leah's Dream fresh for winter campaign

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Coming off two dominant statebred allowance victories at Finger Lakes, Leah’s Dream looks to transfer that form to Aqueduct on Friday when she heads a field of eight entered in a first-level New York-bred allowance going six furlongs.

Though Leah’s Dream has already won two statebred allowance conditions, she remains eligible for similar races downstate because of the way the condition of the race is written. In order to be eligible for a statebred allowance at Aqueduct, a horse could not have won $13,000 in a maiden, claiming or starter race. In her two allowance wins at Finger Lakes, Leah’s Dream won $11,520 and $11,700.

“I’m pretty sure she can knock out those conditions there this winter,” trainer Chris Englehart said by phone.

Leah’s Dream comes into Friday’s feature off a two-month layoff. Englehart, who claimed the filly for $25,000 here last February, ran her four times from Aug. 26 through Oct. 11 and felt the daughter of Astrology could use a break.

“She was getting a little tired, so I said I’m going to freshen her up and hopefully have her good for the winter,” Englehart said.

Englehart claimed Leah’s Dream for $25,000 from Robertino Diodoro, who had won three consecutive claiming races with her here last winter after equipping the filly with an extension blinker. In her first two starts for Englehart, she didn’t run well with that blinker so he took it off. Leah’s Dream finished second in her next two starts before winning her last three – first at Parx, then the two at Finger Lakes.

“Every time I’d run with that blinker she’d stop in the stretch,” Englehart said. “So I ran her without blinkers and that turned her back around.”

Passporttovictory, trained by Jeremiah Englehart, Chris’s son, brings a four-race winning streak down from Finger Lakes to this spot. She is winless in three previous starts over Aqueduct’s main track.

Starlite Mission, trained by Gary Contessa, is 1 for 14 with seven second-place finishes, including a four-length loss to Highway Star in a division of the New York Stallion Series last out.

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KEY CONTENDERS

Leah’s Dream, by Astrology
Last 3 Beyers: 87-74-73

◗ Her seven wins are the most of any horse in this field.

◗ My Last Millions finished second in Leah’s Dream’s last race, beaten 2 1/2 lengths, and has won her last two starts.

◗ Could play out as the main speed under Manny Franco.

Starlite Mission, by Mission Impazible
Last 3 Beyers: 76-80-76

◗ Finished second or third in four tries at this condition before running second to the millionaire Highway Star.

◗ Drew the outside post, which Contessa said could be the key to success.

“She doesn’t like being inside of horses, so the outside post is really, really a big help for her,” Contessa said.

Passporttovictory, by Frost Giant
Last 3 Beyers: 60-67-70

◗ Gets the services of hot-riding apprentice Reylu Gutierrez.

“I think the key is trying to get her off the rail,” Jeremiah Englehart said.