OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Snide finished second to the stakes-bound Point of Reference when she stepped into open allowance company two weeks ago at Aqueduct. Monday, Snide returns to the starter allowance/optional-claiming ranks where the competition is a bit softer, making her a top contender in the Memorial Day feature. There is a nine-race card Monday at Aqueduct, after which racing on this circuit goes dark until June 3 when the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival begins at Saratoga, highlighted by the June 6 Belmont Stakes. Racing will resume at Aqueduct on June 11 for the final three-week run of this historic track’s tenure which ends on June 28. Snide, a 4-year-old daughter of Tonalist, has only run at Aqueduct in her seven-race career, winning twice and finishing second three times. On April 10, she won a starter allowance by 3 1/2 lengths. That race was open to horses who started for a claiming tag of $50,000 or less. Monday’s race is open to horses who have started for $25,000 or less since Jan. 1, 2025. On May 10, Snide pressed a moderate pace, then fought hard before giving way to Point of Reference by 2 3/4 lengths. Point of Reference is trained by Chad Brown, who had considered his filly for the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan before settling on that allowance. Trainer Linda Rice is running Snide back on 15 days’ rest, but relatively short turnarounds are commonplace for Rice. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “It’s just because it seemed like a good opportunity,” Rice said. “She’s doing fine, figured we take a look at that race and it looks like a good spot. She likes the one-turn mile.” Manny Franco, aboard for Snide’s April 10 win, is back aboard Snide on Monday. They will break from the outside post in this eight-horse field. Rice also entered Mursal, a filly coming off a second-place finish in a $30,000 claimer. Rice was pleased with the way Dylan Davis got the 6-year-old mare to relax some early and finish. “She wants to be a little aggressive early. We’ve struggled to get her to settle behind horses but Dylan did a nice job of it last time,” Rice said. Jamie Ness, coming off a six-day win day on Wednesday – three at Delaware Park, three at Parx – which included his 5,000th career win, has Sweet Laura for this spot. Sweet Laura won a starter allowance by six lengths here on March 28 and came back two weeks later in a Parx allowance and ran into the buzzsaw known as Irish Maxima, who beat Sweet Laura by 6 3/4 lengths. Irish Maxima came back to win the Grade 2 Ruffian here on May 9, while Sweet Laura came back to win an allowance/optional claimer at Parx by 5 1/4 lengths on May 2. Jaime Rodriguez rides Sweet Laura from the rail. Sailaway, unraced since winning a starter allowance going 1 1/8 miles on March 6, is entered in this spot but trainer Gustavo Rodriguez would prefer a longer race. “I love the way she’s coming into the race,” said Rodriguez, who was aboard Sailaway for a half-mile work in 51.65 seconds on Friday. Higher Force, Pistol Liz Ablazen, and the Ilkay Kantarmaci team pair of That’s Funny and Princess Becca complete the field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.