Spotlight on New York-breds

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Two allowance sprints for fillies and mares – one restricted to New York-breds, the other for open company but featuring two statebreds – top Thursday’s nine-race card at Aqueduct.

Race 3, a six-furlong race for New York-breds who have never won a graded stakes, drew a field of five led by restricted stakes winner Willet and Sheriffa, both of whom scratched out of open-company stakes over the weekend. This race could be used as a stepping-stone to the $100,000 Broadway for New York-breds on Feb. 13.

Race 8, at 5 1/2 furlongs, is a second-level optional-claiming race that drew a field of seven and could see the New York-bred Laura Can Disco as the main speed of the field. Myfourchix, a winner of two straight New York-bred races, steps into open company for the first time. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin sends out the uncoupled entry of Clothes Fall Off and Mrs. Hudson.

KEY CONTENDERS

Race 3

Willet (Last 3 Beyers: 90-77-79)

◗ Five-time restricted stakes winner is winding down her career, with possibly the Broadway Stakes or the Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel on Feb. 13 also on her calendar.

◗ Scratched out of Saturday’s $100,000 Interborough because trainer and part-owner Jimmy Iselin thought it was too tough given the purse and the weights.

“The way she looked, I was tempted to run,” Iselin said. “But it was a Grade 2 race with a $100,000 purse.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., who was out of town Saturday, will ride her Thursday.

Sheriffa (Last 3 Beyers: 81-84-50)

◗ Finished second to Saythreehailmary’s in the Bay Ridge Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 12. Saythreehailmary’s came back to win Sunday’s Ladies Handicap, a race from which Sheriffa scratched.

Court Dancer (Last 3 Beyers: 89-79-67)

◗ Finished second to Willet in a similar spot Dec. 11.

◗ Could be the primary speed of the race from post 2, though Sheriffa, who breaks from the rail, also has speed.

Race 8

Laura Can Disco (Last 3 Beyers: 48-65-65)

◗ Went 2 for 3 over the inner track last winter before fading to last after getting used up in speed duel in an open-company allowance.

◗ Looks like the primary speed and gets the aggressive Kendrick Carmouche in the irons.

“I’d like to have a fast track going 5 1/2 furlongs with no speed,” trainer Gary Gullo said. “The jock’s riding good, I like her chances.”

Clothes Fall Off (Last 3 Beyers: 82-84-78)

◗ Got beat a neck by Momameamaria when dropping into allowance company after getting beat a neck in a stakes at Keeneland on Breeders’ Cup Saturday.

◗ Worked a half-mile Friday in 48.05 seconds, the fastest of 77 moves at the distance over the Belmont training track.

Mrs. Hudson (Last 3 Beyers: 87-63-80)

◗ She earned a career-best Beyer in a front-running first-level allowance win with blinkers added last out.