P Mutter Pickle sticking to a mile after last-out win

As much promise as P Mutter Pickle showed sprinting, trainer Phil Antonacci believed the 4-year-old New York-bred filly would improve stretching out in distance. Antonacci was proven right when P Mutter Pickle won a one-mile first-level allowance race for statebreds by 4 1/4 lengths last month at Aqueduct, earning a career-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure.

Thursday, 10 days later than anticipated, P Mutter Pickle gets another shot to run one mile as she steps up to the second-level allowance/optional $45,000 claiming condition in the feature race on Aqueduct’s eight-race card.

Thursday’s card includes a $20,329 pick six carryover after the wager went unhit Sunday.

Thursday’s race was part of the Feb. 17 card that was canceled due to forecasted high winds. All eight of the fillies and mares entered that day are back Thursday while Monetary Monarch was added to the field when the race was redrawn.

P Mutter Pickle, a daughter of Vino Rosso, has had a few stops and starts in her career. When she finished third in a December allowance, P Mutter Pickle was returning from a hock infection that had kept her from the races for six months. That six-furlong allowance set P Mutter Pickle up for the mile race.

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“We elected for the shorter distance. I thought she raced very good,” Antonacci said. “We stretched out to a mile. It showed that she could handle the distance and gives us some stuff to look forward to.”

P Mutter Pickle, who had the rail when the race was originally scheduled on Feb. 17, is now in post 8. Kendrick Carmouche rides.

“I think being on the outside gives you a lot more options. I’m okay with it depending whether the track has a bias or not,” Antonacci said. “She’s doing very good. Hopefully, she can step up and I think if she runs her race she’ll be tough.”

Dolomite, trained by Chad Brown, finished second, beaten a neck as the 1-5 favorite, in this same condition on Jan. 17 when making her first start since August. She will likely be a solid favorite again.

Fast and Frisky, third in the same race in which Dolomite was second on Jan. 17, will be making her third start off a layoff for trainer Jorge Abreu.

Monetary Monarch won her first-level allowance condition on Feb. 6 and the 10-day delay of this race now gives her three weeks in between starts.

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