OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A simple throat procedure has turned around the fortunes of National Identity, who goes for his fourth consecutive victory and first in a stakes in Saturday’s $135,000 Say Florida Sandy at Aqueduct. The Say Florida Sandy, for older males at seven furlongs, is one of three New York-bred stakes on Saturday’s 10-race card that begins at 12:10 p.m. The Damon Runyon and East View, for 3-year-olds and 3-year-old fillies, respectively, have been brought back from the canceled card of Feb. 7. After National Identity finished third, nine lengths behind Prince Valiant, in a division of the New York Stallion Series last April 13, he underwent a throat operation known as a tie-back. The procedure involves abducting cartilage that can cause obstruction of the airway. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. National Identity, trained by Danny Gargan for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, returned to the races in September and has put together a three-race winning streak – two allowance wins against statebreds and a first-level allowance against open company. Prince Valiant finished fifth in that open-company allowance on Jan. 4 and came back to win that condition by five lengths on Feb. 5, earning a 100 Beyer Speed Figure. National Identity has won his three races with different styles, including a pace-pressing victory last out. “We put him in the race last time, we thought the horse to beat [Prince Valiant] was the speed and we didn’t want him to get an easy lead so we went after him,” trainer Danny Gargan said. “I think there’s plenty of speed in this race. He doesn’t need the lead.” Acoustic Ave figures to be part of the pace. The 6-year-old gelding is coming out of an open- company allowance victory on Jan. 23, when he beat just three rivals. Though he has made 28 starts, Acoustic Ave has never started beyond 6 1/2 furlongs. Acoustic Ave is trained by Linda Rice, as is El Grande O, who comes out of a fourth-place finish in the five-horse, Grade 3 Elite Power Stakes. Just Beat the Odds, the winner of the Elite Power, was scheduled to start in Saturday’s Group 2 Riyadh Sprint in Saudi Arabia. The Wine Steward is 3 for 4 against New York-bred competition. He won the Hudson Stakes gong 6 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct last October before finishing sixth in the nine-horse Thanksgiving Classic in November at Fair Grounds. General Banker, Quick to Accuse, and Dr. Kraft complete the field. Damon Runyon Arctic Beast, who finished second as the 4-5 favorite in the Springboard Mile at Remington Park on Dec. 20, returns to statebred company in the $135,000 Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds at seven furlongs. Arctic Beast, a son of Yaupon trained by Mike Maker, went 3 for 3 against statebred company as a 2-year-old, winning a maiden race at Saratoga and two stakes at Finger Lakes. He ran a respectable second in the Springboard Mile, his first start around two turns, where he chased a loose leader in Express Kid. Time to Roll looms the major threat to Arctic Beast. The son of Not This Time comes off a 6 3/4-length allowance win on Dec. 11, a bounce-back effort after a sixth-place finish in the Sleepy Hollow, which was won by Bravaro, who finished second in the Grade 3 Holy Bull last out. Trainer Horacio De Paz said Time to Roll was too eager in the Sleepy Hollow, but has seemed to learn his lessons since then. “He wants to be competitive. He needs to learn you can’t do too much early on,” De Paz said. “We ran into a very nice horse in that stakes. It’s a learning process.” Combat Mission won the faster leg of split divisions of a one-mile maiden race for New York breds on Dec. 31. Mission Critical won the other division – slower by 2.73 seconds. Both are back in this spot. Royal Riddle and the unraced Portadown Lad complete the field. East View Galinda, a debut winner on Jan. 10, will step into stakes company in the $135,000 East View Stakes for statebred 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs. In her win, Galinda pressed the pace of a horse that had already started twice; that horse backed up to finish last. Galinda held on by three-quarters of a length with runner-up Princess Jane finishing eight lengths clear of the third-place finisher. Miguel Clement, the trainer of Galinda, called the daughter of Good Magic “our best dirt prospect.” Pinky Brier has won three of her last four starts, two of three since being claimed for $50,000 by Brad Cox on behalf of Sandy Goldfarb, Steve Speranza, Jay Goldberg, and the Estate of Ira Davis. Victory Hall, trained by John Ortiz, makes her first start since a win in the Shesastonecoldfox Stakes at Finger Lakes on Nov. 10. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.