Mud form, breeding expected to come into play

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Maidens and mud are likely to make up the menu Friday at Aqueduct with a weather system anticipated to bring heavy rains Thursday into Friday and four of the nine races scheduled for horses who have not won – including several who have not run – a race.

The opener is a six-furlong maiden special for 2-year-olds where Login Required has already shown the ability to handle a sloppy track, having crossed the finish line first in his debut at Monmouth, a race restricted to horses who brought final bids at auction of $50,000 or less. Login Required was disqualified for veering inward in upper stretch and was placed third. With blinkers off next time, he did come back to finish second to the debuting Youbetterbejoking at Aqueduct on Nov. 6.

Friday, Login Required, trained by Jose Camejo, gets a rider switch to Manny Franco.

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Kool Kathmandu, trained by Charlton Baker, was a neck behind Login Required on debut and is out of a dam, Fat Kat, who won four races on wet tracks at Parx by an average of 7 1/2 lengths. Kool Kathamandu is drawn well on the outside under Dylan Davis.

An intriguing runner in this field is Venge, a son of Gun Runner out of the mare Classic Point, who did win the Grade 3 Go for Wand over a “good” Aqueduct main track. Venge shows some fast works for trainer Robert Ribaudo, who is just 2 for 26 the last five years with first-time starters.

Clubhouse, trained by Todd Pletcher, makes his fifth start and just second on dirt. In his lone dirt start, he finished third, beaten one length, to stablemate Litigate.

Race 5 is a one-mile maiden race for 2-year-old fillies. Miss Fashionista has twice been a beaten favorite. She caught a wet track on debut where she was climbing early before leveling off. She was beaten 10 1/4 lengths by runaway winner Banterra while narrowly losing second.

Silver Skillet, trained by Christophe Clement, is out of the dam Catcha Rising Star, who won her maiden by 10 3/4 lengths in the mud at Pimlico. Silver Skillet is back with maidens after finishing third in the Maid of the Mist Stakes in her last start versus maidens, on Sept. 22. Silver Skillet finished third to Stonewall Star, who came back to win the Key Cents Stakes here on Nov. 20. Three other horses from that Sept. 22 maiden race came back to win.

Race 6 is a maiden race for fillies and mares. Photon shows the only good race on a wet track, having finished second to Kant Hurry Love (entered here Thursday) in the slop at Saratoga. Photon finished 3 1/2 lengths clear of Funny How, who has come back to win her next three starts.

Bon Adieu, drawn on the rail, is a first-time starter by Ghostzapper and her second dam is Acey Deucey, a Grade 1-winning New York-bred.

Friday’s card ends with a maiden $40,000 claimer for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies. Kara Para, who is dropping in for a tag and gets blinkers, finished second in her lone start over a wet surface.

The first-time starter Honest Banker is out of a dam, True Charm, who won her maiden in the slop at Saratoga. Honest Banker is a full sister to Always Charming, who won his maiden here last December for this same pricetag.

Joeybignose is a firster by Union Jackson out of the dam Entrustment, who was a debut winner in her lone start on dirt.

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