Piquant's last race points him out in Thursday allowance

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The four-tiered conditions of Thursday’s $81,000 second race at Aqueduct gave the appearance that it was written for a stakes-winning horse who was returning from a lengthy layoff.

While the race did draw three stakes winners, none is what you could call a household name.

Piquant, who comes off a sharp three-length victory in the $70,000 Peeping Tom Stakes on March 21, will try to keep his recent run of success going in this six-furlong race, which serves as the feature on Aqueduct’s eight-race card.

Among his four challengers are Extrasexyhippzster, a two-time listed stakes winner at 3, and So Brilliant, the winner of the Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue Stakes in 2011 who has made one start in 17 months.

Street Shark, last in the Grade 1 Carter on April 4, and Moments Notiz, a 19-time winner, complete the field.

KEY CONTENDERS

Piquant (Last 3 Beyers: 97-92-87)

◗ Claimed for $32,000 on March 8, Piquant came back on 13 days’ rest and won the Peeping Tom Stakes on New York’s inaugural Claiming Championships card.

“He had post 12, he was six wide up the backside, five wide around the turn, and six wide in the stretch,” trainer Richard Stoklosa said. “He had to run further than everybody else. He showed me in that race he could be competitive.”

◗ Piquant earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 97 in that race.

“I was worried about him bouncing, but as good as he’s been training and the way he came out of that last race, there are no signs he’s tailing off,” Stoklosa said Monday. “Put it this way: If he’s as good Thursday as he is today, I’ll be happy.”

Moments Notiz (Last 3 Beyers: 83-90-101)

◗ He has won 19 of 38 career starts, including 10 of 19 since owner-trainer David Jacobson acquired him in the fall of 2013.

◗ He earned a career-best 103 Beyer in his lone start – a win – over Aqueduct’s main track in the fall of 2013.

◗ He has not been out since Jan. 31, when he finished fourth in a money allowance race at Laurel.

Extrasexyhippzster (Last 3 Beyers: 85-87-92)

◗ His stakes victories include a five-length win in the Don Rickles Stakes over Aqueduct’s inner track in December 2013. He won the Miracle Wood in January 2014 but has lost six straight since.

◗ His Maryland-based trainer, Michael Trombetta, is 4 for 48 at Aqueduct over the last 28 months.