Pletcher filly looks best in Ruthless

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Todd Pletcher led trainers in New York stakes wins last year with 21, and figures to win with his first New York stakes starter of 2004, , in Sunday's Ruthless at Aqueduct.

Highgate Park is one of five 3-year-old fillies entered in a weak edition of the Ruthless.

Highgate Park, a daughter of A.P. Indy, lost her first three starts, twice as the favorite. The winners of two of those races, Whoopi Cat and Smokey Glacken, later won stakes.

Highgate Park won a maiden race on Oct. 14 at The Meadowlands by 2 3/4 lengths after she blazed through an opening quarter in 21.82 seconds and a half-mile in 44.68. In her last start on Dec. 11, Highgate Park won a six-furlong allowance race by 9 1/2 lengths over the muddy inner track. Rain is in Sunday's forecast.

"What we're seeing is a horse who is taking to the inner track," said Seth Benzel, Pletcher's assistant.

Javier Castellano rides Highgate Park, who drew post 3 in the six-furlong Ruthless.

Bikini Wiggle, who makes her first start since July in the Ruthless, has been working sharply at Laurel Park.

She won her career debut over Aqueduct's main track last April by 7 3/4 lengths, running the 4 1/2 furlongs in a solid 52.01, .41 seconds off the track record. Off that win, Bikini Wiggle was made the favorite in the Fashion Stakes and finished third. In her last start on July 30, she finished last in a first-level allowance race at Saratoga. Shortly after that loss, Bikini Wiggle was found to have a torn tendon in her shoulder, according to her trainer, Tony Dutrow.

The pace figures to be lively in the Ruthless, with Highgate Park, High Peaks, and Prudencia all possessing early speed.

High Peaks worked three furlongs in 37.09 at Belmont Park on Friday under Aaron Gryder, who will be aboard on Sunday. High Peaks set a contested pace and finished second in her last start, a first-level allowance race against New York-breds on Nov. 30.

"She didn't seem to go around the turn quite as handily as I thought she would," said Tom Bush, High Peaks's trainer. "[Gryder] thought maybe he took too much of hold of her. We may want to let her go."

Baldomera, the runner-up to Smokey Glacken in the Grade 3 Valley Stream, is a closer and would benefit from a hot pace.