Rock Queen offers value

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It's beginning to look a lot like winter when a second-level allowance race restricted to New York-breds serves as the feature at Aqueduct. Such is the case Wednesday.

The seven-furlong race, which drew a full field of 11, is the final leg of the pick six, which begins the day with a $40,946 carryover.

In a fairly wide-open race, Philadelphia Park shipper Rock Queen, who returns from a layoff, may offer decent value. Rock Queen hasn't raced since May 17 when she finished a well-beaten fourth in her first attempt at this level.

Trainer Ned Allard said he had no real excuse for Rock Queen's performance, and said the horse didn't come out of the race with any type of injury. Allard felt the timing was right for a vacation, so he freshened up Rock Queen for a fall and winter campaign.

"You were getting ready to go to Saratoga and Belmont, and I thought if I was going to give the filly a break, summer is better than winter,'' Allard said. "I think she's a decent filly; I don't think she's a superstar.''

After winning her maiden in her debut last Dec. 8 over Aqueduct's inner track, Rock Queen couldn't finish any better than fourth in her next six starts. In the spring, Allard equipped Rock Queen with blinkers and she responded with a win going seven furlongs at Aqueduct. She also finished second in the slop to the slop-loving Shawklit Mint, to whom Rock Queen was conceding 10 pounds.

"She just seemed to not be paying attention and she ran some races that were not as good as I thought she'd run,'' Allard said when asked about the blinker change. "She seems more focused now.''

Rock Queen, a daughter of Silver Music, enters Wednesday's race with two bullet workouts at Philadelphia Park, including a five-furlong move in 1:00 out of the gate on Oct. 29. Jean-Luc Samyn, who rode Rock Queen in her last three starts, has the call from post 2.

Moonlightandbeauty hasn't won a race in almost a year, but her last victory did come at this track and distance. Soon Soon comes off a 2 1/2-length entry-level allowance win in the slop at Belmont, and may be the one to beat if the track is wet.

Fromheretoheaven is 2 for 2 at seven furlongs. Whispered Call goes turf to dirt for trainer Ramon Hernandez, who is 3 for 15 over the last couple of years with that move.