Midtown Bullet: Will he or won't he?

Midtown Bullet could go either way when he steps up in class in a second-level allowance race that will serve as Wednesday’s feature race at Northlands Park. The six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up drew six horses, but if Midtown Bullet runs as well as he did when he won a first-level race by over seven lengths on July 7, the rest are running for second money.

Trained by Twylla Bensmiller, Midtown Bullet is a perfect candidate to bounce, however.

After showing some promise when he won his debut in a $50,000 maiden race at Saratoga on July 25, 2008, Midtown Bullet didn’t make his next start until four months later, finishing fifth in a $50,000 starter race at Aqueduct. After missing all of 2009, he returned to finish second behind Mootoo in a first-level allowance race at Northlands June 11. Midtown Bullet freaked in his next start, and his 81 Beyer Speed Figure was 30 points higher than he earned in his comeback race. He hasn’t worked since he ran, and he will have to deal with faster fractions with a sharp Gatwick breaking from the rail. Heribert Martinez retains the mount.

Ochoa, second in the $75,000 Sonoma and $122,000 B.C. Oaks last year, will be making her 4-year-old debut for trainer Ron Smith. Ochoa probably wants more distance, however. She won a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race at the Fair Grounds in February of 2009, and sandwiched between her second place finishes in the Sonoma and B.C. Oaks, she won a one-mile $40,000 optional race at Northlands.

Gatwick and Ready Racer, second and third in a second-level allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs July 21, look like the main threats to Midtown Bullet.