Puca looks for restart in allowance race

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Expectations rose quickly for Puca after she won a maiden race by 16 lengths in the autumn of 2014 at Belmont Park. Those expectations, however, have gone unfulfilled.

Puca, in her first start in 536 days, will attempt Thursday to resurrect her once-promising career when she heads a field of nine in a one-mile first-level allowance race on Aqueduct’s nine-race card.

This will be Puca’s first start in allowance company. Her five subsequent tries following her victory on Oct. 1, 2014, came in stakes. Her best finish was as runner-up to Condo Commando in the Grade 2 Gazelle at Aqueduct in April 2015.

Puca, 4, hasn’t run since finishing seventh behind Lady Eli in the Wonder Again Stakes on turf May 31, 2015.

Jerry Crawford, Puca’s owner and co-breeder, said bone bruising was the original reason she went to the sidelines for the remainder of 2015. After returning to the work tab for about two months last winter, Puca, trained by Bill Mott, had another setback. She began breezing again in September and has had seven workouts leading to her return.

“Bill has a very good record, particularly with fillies and mares off layoffs,” Crawford said. “I’m confident she’ll be ready. Whether she needs a race, you never know that until after the fact.”

Kendrick Carmouche rides Puca from post 4.

This is hardly the deepest field for a first-level allowance. Fast Retailing, a $1 million yearling purchase trained by Shug McGaughey, is just 1 for 8 and is making her first start since May. Daisy Cutter is a New York-bred daughter of Bellamy Road who has won five times, and comes off a third at this condition on turf Oct. 20.

KEY CONTENDERS

Puca, by Big Brown
Last 3 Beyers: 84-75-82

◗ Gets class relief and returns to dirt, the surface over which she won a maiden race.

DRF FORMULATOR fact: Mott is 3 for 19 last the two years with a $1 ROI bringing horses back off a layoff of 180 days or greater at a mile or farther on dirt.

Daisy Cutter, by Bellamy Road
Last 3 Beyers: 78-80-72

◗ Began this year with two allowance wins against New York-breds over Aqueduct’s inner track.

◗ Goes turf to dirt, an angle that produced her first-level allowance win against statebreds Jan. 3.

◗ Javier Castellano has the mount. Castellano has only recently started riding for Daisy Cutter’s trainer, Linda Rice. That combination is 4 for 12 the last six months.

Havana Moon, by Malibu Moon
Last 3 Beyers: 73-83-85

◗ Tries dirt for the first time after going 1 for 16 combined on turf and synthetic.

“She’s always worked well on dirt,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “She hasn’t got that turn of foot you need on the grass. She has more of a dirt style. I always wanted to give her a try on the dirt, so this is her opportunity.”

◗ Irad Ortiz Jr. rides.