By the Light almost unbeatable in sprints

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - By the Light is 4 for 5 in races run at six furlongs. And since the only horse to beat her at that distance, Indian Blessing, is not entered in Sunday's $65,000 Foil Stakes at Aqueduct, By the Light looks well positioned to make it 5 for 6 at the sprint distance.

By the Light followed her 4-for-4 juvenile campaign with a solid 3-year-old season in which she won 3 races from 6 starts, including the Flip's Pleasure Stakes last out. The horse she beat that day, Weathered, came back to win her next start and got beat a nose in Friday's You'd Be Surprised Stakes here.

By the Light, trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., has only been beaten three times in her career. Her first defeat came to Indian Blessing in the Grade 1 Prioress. After winning the Union Avenue at Saratoga, By the Light failed to stretch out, finishing fourth, beaten 10 1/2 lengths, in the Cotillion Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Philadelphia Park.

In the Iroquois Handicap, By the Light was beaten by stablemate Ice Cool Kitty before winning her last start.

There are some interesting challengers for By the Light in the nine-horse Foil, including Awesome Chic, Access Fee, and Awesome I Am.

Awesome Chic won 3 of her first 5 starts, including the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa. She was overmatched when finishing ninth in the Kentucky Oaks. She has not run since finishing fourth in the Susan's Girl Stakes at Delaware. She shows two very swift works leading to this for trainer Rafael Ramos.

Access Fee, has won 3 of 4 starts for the Maryland-based trainer Lawrence Murray. Awesome I Am returns to dirt and drops in class after being beaten soundly in two graded stakes tries.

True Resurgence eyes Sunshine Millions

Trainer John Terranova was enjoying the sun and warmth of Southern California on Thursday when a horse of his running in the muck and mire of Aqueduct gave him reason to dream of another sunny destination.

Bouncing back from a disappointing effort in the Meadowlands Cup, True Resurgence rolled to a 2 3/4-length victory in a third-level allowance race here Thursday. If all goes well, True Resurgence will make his next start in the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 24.

Terranova said True Resurgence came out of a last-place finish in the Meadowlands Cup with a respiratory infection. Other than that, True Resurgence has not run a bad race since owners Vernon and Donna Dubinsky sent him to Terranova, with 2 wins and 2 seconds from 5 overall starts. True Resurgence earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory on Thursday.

Aqueduct goes on holiday break

Following Sunday's card, Aqueduct will take an 11-day holiday break. Live racing resumes on Friday, Dec. 26.

Though dark, Aqueduct will be open from Monday through Dec. 23 for simulcasting. Admission and parking are free.

Horsemen are reminded that entries for the Dec. 26 and Dec. 27 programs will be taken on Dec. 22. Entries for the Dec. 28 card will be taken Dec. 23.

Are We Dreamin nips Weathered

Are We Dreamin ($21.40), making her 19th start of the year, wore down favored Weathered in the final strides under Stewart Elliott to take Friday's $70,150 You'd Be Surprised Stakes by a nose. It was 3 1/2 lengths back to Jasmine Gardens in third.

Are We Dreamin, a 4-year-old daughter of Yes It's True trained by Randi Persaud, was making her first start around two turns on dirt. She covered a mile and 70 yards in 1:44.16.

The victory was one of two on the day for Elliott, who now has 3,994 career wins.

* Gary Contessa ran nine horses on Friday's card. He won three of the eight races - the opener with Por Favor ($18.80), the seventh with Indy's Forum ($6.90), and the nightcap with French Song ($6.40). Through the first eight days of the inner track meet, Contessa has 6 wins from a whopping 54 starters.