Mighty Atlas hopes for wet strip
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The absence of Quick to Accuse and the potential presence of a wet track could give Mighty Atlas the edge in a competitive second-level allowance/optional $45,000 claiming event for New York-breds going a mile that serves as the feature on Friday’s eight-race card at Aqueduct.
Trained by Mike Miceli, Mighty Atlas has run seven times in this condition going back to June 2024. He was a 1 1/4-length winner last September over a muddy track. Trained by Mike Maker then, Mighty Atlas was claimed by Miceli when he ran back last November in the same condition and finished second to Colloquy over a sloppy track.
Mighty Atlas finished last in this condition Dec. 14, suggesting that was too quick back off his previous run. He then finished fourth in January and second on March 1. In the March race, he ran into a buzz saw named Quick to Accuse, who galloped to a 7 1/2-length win. Quick to Accuse, who earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure, was claimed out of that race by Michelle Giangiulio but is not back here.
Mighty Atlas was a wide-rallying second in that race, finishing 2 1/2 lengths clear of Rock the Weekend in third. Rock the Weekend and three others out of that race are back in this spot.
“He ran a good race for us last time, and that horse that beat us is not back in,” Miceli said.
With a half-inch of rain forecast Thursday, Aqueduct’s main track could be wet on Friday.
“That’d be a big plus for us,” said Miceli, noting that Mighty Atlas is 2 for 3 with a second from three starts over a wet track.
Rock the Weekend, trained by Lolita Shivmangal, won a first-level allowance in the slop here Dec. 28.
Dr. Kraft is only 2 for 24 in his career but has finished second or third a combined 16 times, including a runner-up finish to Good Skate in a $50,000 claiming race on Feb. 27.
Whittington Park, who won this condition in 2023 and took the Haynesfield Stakes in February 2024, is dropping into allowance company after competing in seven straight stakes. Whittington Park is part of a Ten Strike Racing-owned entry along with Parx Racing-based The King Cheek, a 12-time winner who finished ninth in the same race in which Mighty Atlas was second.
Trainer Jamie Ness has an uncoupled entry of My Last Mission and Amedeus Music entered in this spot. Both won their last starts against New York-bred competition, with Amedeus Music taking a first-level statebred allowance on Feb. 29, 2024 and My Last Mission winning a statebred race Oct. 30 at Finger Lakes. My Last Mission is coming off a front-running win against open $25,000 claimers on Feb. 10 at Parx.
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