Recency big factor in sprint
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - "What have you done for me lately?" may be the central theme of Aqueduct's featured eighth race Thursday, a six-furlong allowance in which five sprinters return from layoffs ranging from five months to a year.
Several of the returnees - White Socks, Fortunate Storm, Interline, and Rum Point - have done their best running on the Big A's main track.
ran in the Bay Shore Stakes in April and finished a clear second behind Lost in the Fog, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 96 - a huge performance for a 3-year-old making his second career start. He did not race again for more than two months, however, when he was fourth at 4-5 at Belmont Park, and has been idle ever since.
has been away since stopping as the favorite at Belmont on May 14. Before that, he had run a pair of big races on Aqueduct's main track: a front-running maiden win and a runner-up finish in a swiftly run allowance.
Interline makes his first start since April and has turned in some fast workouts for new trainer Gary Gullo. He was a maiden winner in the slop at Aqueduct last fall.
has also been sidelined since April, when he made his career debut here and posted a last-to-first victory.
Among those who have raced more recently are Fully Engaged and Eslan.
Fully Engaged was training at Bowie and running at Delaware Park earlier this fall. He gets a trainer change to Richard Dutrow Jr. and makes his third start back from a layoff.
comes off a big maiden win at The Meadowlands 19 days ago.
If the weather cooperates, On the Catwalk is the one to beat in the seventh race, a 1 1/16-mile first-level allowance scheduled for turf. Throw out her failed experiment on dirt two weeks ago.
"She trained good on dirt, but it was a disaster," said trainer Carlos Martin of her last-place finish in the restricted Miss Oceana Stakes.
On the Catwalk has had some tough luck since winning her debut. She was buried in traffic through the stretch at Saratoga on Aug. 29, and was beaten just a length after breaking from post 12 in her most recent turf start.
"She ran a big race and tried hard that day," said Martin.
If the race is rained off the turf the edge goes to Pleasant Laughter, one of three fillies entered for the main track only.