Multiple ties to Jacobson in feature

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Two newcomers to David Jacobson’s barn will square off against two of the trainer’s former runners in Friday’s $71,000 feature going one mile over Aqueduct’s main track.

The race is open to third-level allowance horses, non-winners of a stakes this year, and $100,000 claimers.

Jacobson sends out the uncoupled entry of Aussi Austin and Stormin Monarcho. Among his chief rivals are Don Dulce, a horse claimed from Jacobson last January by Mitch Friedman for $75,000, and North Ocean, a horse claimed last July by Rudy Rodriguez for $20,000.

Jacobson claimed Aussi Austin for $50,000 off Rodriguez out of a March 13 race that Aussi Austin won by six lengths over the Aqueduct inner track. Prior to that, he won a third-level allowance race at Laurel by a nose going a one-turn mile.

Jacobson has high expectations for Aussi Austin, who finished second to Readtheprospectus over the main track last April 12. That was the fifth of what eventually became a seven-race winning streak for Readtheprospectus.

“I love him, nice horse,” Jacobson said of Aussi Austin. “Off that last race for Rudy, he really seemed to wake up and is going the right way.”

Taylor Rice will ride Aussi Austin from post 5. Rice has won 16 races from 63 mounts for Jacobson at Aqueduct in 2014.

Stormin Monarcho will make his first start for Jacobson since being purchased privately last month out of a runner-up finish to Suns Out Guns Out at Gulfstream Park. Stormin Monarcho has finished first or second in 9 of 12 dirt starts and will break from the rail under Cornelio Velasquez.

“I wish I had him a little longer, but he seems to be doing okay,” Jacobson said. “It’s not that tough of a race at this level.”

North Ocean has 3 wins and 3 seconds from 8 starts for Rodriguez. He won a pair of two-turn races over the inner track but did run second to Mail, a Chad Brown-trained runner, in an off-the-turf, one-turn, one-mile race over the main tack last November. He figures to be on or close to the early pace.

Rodriguez also sends out Dawly, a horse who won two races over the main track in a 14-day span last November. He is dropping out of a fourth-place finish to Romansh in the Grade 3 Excelsior Stakes over the inner track March 22.

Don Dulce finished last of six in the Excelsior, his first start in two months. Rajiv Maragh rides from post 4.

Summer Sunset makes his first start since finishing second in a race similar to this at Belmont Park on May 1. Trainer Bruce Levine appears to be using this race as a place to get the gelding’s 5-year-old campaign started.

“I wouldn’t tell you he’s 100 percent fit,” Levine said. “But he’s fit enough to get a race into him.”

Cougar Ridge, the winner of a second-level allowance over the main track last December, and Irsaal, the winner of a second-level allowance over the inner track Feb. 22, complete the field.