OZONE PARK, N.Y. – El Grande O ran well enough in his return to the races in late October to consider a return to stakes competition for the 3-year-old New York-bred colt. While trainer Linda Rice has plans to eventually do that, she will start El Grande O one more time in allowance company in Friday’s second-level allowance/optional $62,500 claiming feature at Aqueduct. The 6 1/2-furlong race, which drew a field of seven, goes as race 4 on an eight-race card that begins at 12:10 p.m. and includes a rare allowance for 2-year-old colts going a mile. El Grande O, a multiple New York-bred stakes winner at 2, placed in three Kentucky Derby points-scoring races on this circuit to begin his 3-year-old campaign. He was sidelined by a hairline fracture in a hind ankle discovered shortly after his third-place finish in the Grade 3 Gotham in March. On Oct. 24, El Grande O came off a 7 1/2-month layoff to win a first-level allowance race by three-quarters of a length, reeling in a loose-on-the-lead Toxic Gray late. Toxic Gray came back to win his next start by 3 1/2 lengths, earning a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure in the process. “I was very happy with his comeback. He dug in, showed some grit; glad to see he’s still got the try in him that he had last year,” Rice said of El Grande O’s Oct. 24 win. There was some discussion about running El Grande O in Saturday’s Grade 2 Cigar Mile, but Rice preferred one more allowance before returning to stakes company, which, depending on how things go Friday, could happen in the $100,000 Alex Robb versus New York-breds on Dec. 28. “Would I have liked to have gone seven or even a mile, yeah, but I think the timing works out, keeps the door open to run back in the Alex Robb,” said Rice, who also mentioned the Grade 3, $175,000 Toboggan on Feb. 1, 2025, as a goal for El Grande O. Rice also entered Bramito. He was fifth in this condition on Nov. 24. This race marks the return to the races of Victory Way, who won two of his first three starts in the first half of 2023 but who hasn’t run since a seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones at Parx on Aug. 22, 2023. He was talented enough to earn a 97 Beyer Speed Figure winning a first-level allowance at Belmont Park on June 1, 2023. Trainer Ilkay Kantarmaci sends out the uncoupled entry of Wake Surf and Gun It, the latter having won a higher-level allowance in May when trained by Rice. Reddington finished fifth in this condition on Nov. 9, but was coming off strong performances at Saratoga in July and Aqueduct in September for trainer Eddie Barker. Squire Creek completes the field. In Friday’s third, a one-mile entry-level allowance for 2-year-old males, the ownership group of Robert LaPenta and Madaket Stables has a strong coupled entry of Uncle Jim and One Man Team in a field of seven. Uncle Jim, trained by Brad Cox, was a good-looking debut winner of a seven-furlong maiden race at Keeneland on Oct. 17. He saved ground while in eighth under Florent Geroux, went around one horse on the far turn, then angled back inside and rallied along the rail to get the victory in a field of 11. The son of City of Light shows two bullet works in the interim. One Man Team, trained by Brittany Russell, won a six-furlong race by six lengths at Laurel Park on Oct. 31, doing so in front-running fashion. “Honestly, I never thought he was a sprinter, but I thought he should be able to tackle a group of Maryland maiden special weights,” Russell said. “He did what we hoped he would. This horse is supposed to go farther. He trains like he wants to go farther.” Uncle Jim breaks from post 5 under Geroux while One Man Team has the outside post and Manny Franco. Cyclone State, who drew the rail, is coming off a one-mile maiden win here on Nov. 3 in what was his fifth career start. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.