Oneballnostrikes always takes a swing

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Friday’s first-level allowance race for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles at Aqueduct figures to have no bearing on the Triple Crown series, but it does have the potential to be a solid betting race.

Apartfromthecrowd and Fillet of Sole, from the high-profile barns of Chad Brown and Todd Pletcher, likely will take the most money, but multiple-race winners Oneballnostrikes and Carradine may offer the best value.

A mixture of snow and rain is in the forecast, so wet track conditions could be in play Friday.

Oneballnostrikes, trained by John Servis, has already won three races, including a starter allowance going a mile and 70 yards over Aqueduct’s inner track on Feb. 4. He received some early pressure on the lead that day but drew away turning for home and won by 5 1/4 lengths. That race came 23 days after his second-place finish behind Devine Dental in a similar spot on Jan. 12. That race came 16 days after he won an optional claimer at Parx.

Servis said he may have run Oneballnostrikes back too quickly in the Jan. 12 race, a mistake he made sure not to repeat this time.

“That race was a little quick back for him – it was just over two weeks,” Servis said Wednesday from south Florida. “He ran so good last time, we decided to give him a little more time again.”

Oneballnostrikes, who has a win over a “good” track, has speed and will have the always-aggressive Kendrick Carmouche aboard. Two starts back, he tracked Devine Dental, who is back in this field.

Carradine, trained by Linda Rice, is stepping up into open company for the first time. He finished second in a four-horse field behind loose-on-the-lead winner Haul Anchor in the Gander Stakes for New York-breds on Jan. 28.

Carradine, Fillet of Sole, Thirst for Victory, and Devine Dental have all won over a wet track.

KEY CONTENDERS

Oneballnostrikes, by Include

Last 3 Beyers: 82-63-62

◗ Had a breakout performance Beyer Speed Figure-wise last time when able to dictate the pace.

“He’s a pretty game little horse; he fights all the time,” Servis said. “The only blemish on his record was when he had a pretty rough trip. I threw that race out. Every time I run him, even when he got beat, he dug in.”

Fillet of Sole, by Union Rags

Last 3 Beyers: 70-79-75

◗ Showed some grit in running down a loose-on-the-lead Curtis to win a one-mile maiden race by a nose in the slop to end his 2-year-old season Nov. 29.

Made his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Withers, where he got bumped around at the start and, at the three-eighths pole, had another horse leaning all over him.

Apartfromthecrowd, by Gio Ponti

Last 3 Beyers: 79-81-73

◗ Was no match for El Areeb in the Withers, just three weeks after a solid four-length maiden score.

◗ Tossed his head about early on but ultimately relaxed before taking advantage of an inside trip to win a maiden race on a day when the inside was by far the best part of the track.