Leeloo teams back up with Lezcano in return to favorite track

Trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Correas IV hopes a return to New York and a reunion with jockey Jose Lezcano can get Leeloo back to the winner’s circle in Sunday’s second-level allowance/optional-claiming feature at Aqueduct.

Leeloo is one of two New York-breds in this competitive field of 10 fillies and mares entered to run six furlongs at Aqueduct. Leeloo has recorded 3 of 4 career victories at Aqueduct and was beaten just a neck when second in the Iroquois Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A meet in October.

Leeloo is coming out of a runner-up finish in this same condition at Oaklawn in December. The horse she finished second to was Back to Ohio, an Ohio-bred mare who has won 9 of 10 career starts.

“She didn’t run her race, she missed the break, usually she’s way faster away from the gate,” Correas said of Leeloo’s last race. “The reality is the filly that beat her at Oaklawn is one of the best horses bred in Ohio ever.”

Leeloo will be ridden Sunday by Lezcano, who has two wins and two seconds aboard the mare from four rides.

“She’s training great, I think she gets along well with Jose, I think she’s going to run huge,” Correas said.

Correas likes being drawn on the outside to allow Lezcano to position Leeloo where she needs to be.

“She needs to be really close to the pace, with that post he can see what’s going on,” Correas said.

Trainers Linda Rice, Rick Dutrow Jr., David Jacobson, and Rudy Rodriguez each have two horses entered in this race.

Rice has the speedy Sue Ellen Mishkin, the other New York-bred in the field, who breaks from the rail. She is coming off a statebred second-level allowance win Jan. 19.

Rice also sends out Portage, who has not been out since winning a first-level allowance race by three-quarters of a length in October. That race was run at one mile.

Jacobson’s pair of Self Isolation and Taming the Tigress are a coupled entry as are the Rudy Rodriguez-trained duo of Desert Dalliance and Crypto Mama.

Self Isolation is coming out of a runner-up finish behind Whiskey and Rye in a similar spot as this on Nov. 3 at Laurel. Taming the Tigress was third in this condition to entrymate Starship Defiant on Jan. 11 at Aqueduct.

Rick Dutrow’s pair of Proud Foot and Everyoneloveslinda run as separate betting interests. Proud Foot has won two straight since being claimed by Dutrow for $35,000, while Everyoneloveslinda goes first off the $40,000 claim for Dutrow.

Beneath the Stars, trained by Lacey Gaudet, completes the field.