Look who beat Traci Girl last time

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Traci Girl, who closed out last year in sharp form after receiving a trainer change to Bruce Levine, turns back from a route to six furlongs and will have to catch the speedy Electrical Carlita in Thursday's eighth race at Aqueduct.

Thursday's card was originally scheduled to be run last Sunday, but Aqueduct was shuttered for the entire weekend due to a blizzard, so handicappers have had ample time to go over every nuance of this recycled program.

will be tough to beat in this optional claiming sprint, which carries a $47,000 purse. In her most recent start on Dec. 9, and her first on the inner track, Traci Girl returned from a 54-day freshening to run a close second to the unbeaten Saintliness at 1 1/16 miles. That effort that looks all the more impressive after Saintliness won the recent Affectionately Handicap to run her record to 5 for 5.

The one for Traci Girl to catch this time is Electrical Carlita. From 17 starts last year for Scott Lake, Electrical Carlita had the lead at the first call 15 times, the two exceptions occurring at Charles Town early last spring in 4 1/2-furlong dashes.

was one of seven wire-to-wire winners on a sloppy and speed-favoring track in her first start of the year Jan. 6. She drew post 7 for this assignment, but will move at least one stall closer to the inside because the Joe Orseno-trained entry of Grinch and Meadow Fox each has meet-leading rider Rafael Bejarano named, so one must scratch.

gave futile chase to Electrical Carlita in her return from a layoff earlier this month, perhaps disliking the sloppy track. A bullet workout at five furlongs last week hints she may rebound quickly if given a fast track.

Candybedandy, primarily a turf runner earlier in her career, roared past Electrical Carlita in a spot similar to this on Dec. 17, notching her first victory on dirt. Her follow-up start on New Year's Day was a last-place finish in the Interborough Handicap for trainer Gary Contessa, who saddled four straight winners here last Friday.