OZONE PARK, N.Y. – For nearly three years, Mosienko was the horse in trainer Dennis Lalman’s one-horse stable. Acquired in the summer of 2021, Mosienko won eight races from 30 starts for Lalman and his daughter Stacy, highlighted by a four-race winning streak from Aug. 6 to Oct. 6, 2022. Last May, Mosienko was claimed from the Lalmans for $62,500 by David Jacobson. The now 8-year-old mare has since been claimed by Rick Dutrow and, more recently, Ilkay Kantarmaci. Meanwhile, the Lalmans replenished at the claim box, taking Miss Lao for $25,000 in August at Saratoga. In her first start for the Lalmans, Miss Lao won a New York-bred first-level allowance at Aqueduct in October. In her last two starts, at the second-level/optional $45,000 claiming condition, Miss Lao has run against and finished ahead of Mosienko. Friday, Miss Lao will again face Mosienko and 10 others in the featured statebred second-level allowance/optional $45,000 claiming feature that goes as the last of eight races on an Aqueduct card that begins at 12:40 p.m. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. In this spot Friday, Miss Lao is shortening up to six furlongs after running one mile two starts back, finishing second to the in-form Brown Suga Babe, and seven furlongs last out when beaten by the returning Speightful Lily. “She’s run really good every time I ran her,” Lalman said. “The last time I thought she was inside, she didn’t have a good situation, she was a little far back. I think the way she’s training, going from a mile back to six furlongs I don’t think it’ll be a problem.” Lalman is using five-pound apprentice Francisco Martinez on Miss Lao on Friday. Mosienko, now 8, has made 50 starts, winning 11 times. Eight of those wins came for Lalman, who started her 30 times. From afar, Lalman said he would like to see her become a broodmare. “I’m not in the breeding side of the business. I’m hoping if they do [claim] her at least she’d end up on nice farm,” Lalman said. Mosienko is coupled with Gone and Forgotten, who just won this same race on Jan. 2 and is back in once again for the $45,000 tag. True Empress has recorded four of her 12 career wins at Aqueduct. She comes into Friday’s race having won three of her last four starts, the wins coming at Finger Lakes, the loss a third-place finish in this condition at Saratoga. True Empress raced at Finger Lakes for Michael Ferraro, but is back with Carlos Martin, who has had her on two previous occasions for a total of 16 starts. While Martin acknowledged how salty Friday’s race came up, he says the big field could translate into there being a good early pace. “That would help us, we need that,” Martin said. Some newcomers to this condition include the lightly raced pair of Al’s Ruby, who has won both of her career starts convincingly for Christophe Clement, and My Magic Wand, who is 2 for 3 lifetime and won her first-level condition going seven furlongs in the slop for trainer Gregg Sacco. Sue Ellen Mishkin and Maggy’s Palace are others to consider in what is a difficult handicapping puzzle. Patricia Ann aimed at Heavenly Prize Patricia Ann, game winner of a second-level allowance race on Sunday, will be pointed to the $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational on Feb. 22, trainer Carlos Martin said. Patricia Ann overcame a bobble at the break to battle with Kid’s Last Laugh virtually the entire way around the track in Sunday’s seven-furlong race, prevailing by a half-length. Patricia Ann, a daughter of Enticed, covered seven furlongs in 1:24.50 and earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure. It was her second consecutive allowance win since returning from a layoff. She won a six-furlong allowance on Nov. 29. The Heavenly Prize is run as a one-turn mile. “It’s definitely exciting,” said Martin who trains the 4-year-old filly for Marc Holliday’s Blue Devil Racing. “You hope she could take another step forward and she broke her maiden going a mile. She’s shown a good amount of speed, if you stretch her out you don’t have to go so fast [early] and still have something left.” Patricia Ann is named after Martin’s sister-in-law Patricia Ann Wagner, who died in October 2022. She would have turned 50 years old on Tuesday. The day of the race was one of Patricia’s sister’s birthday. “Sometimes, you have to believe in karma,” Martin said. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.