Stablemates figure in split divisions of allowance route

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Four allowance races for New York-breds are sprinkled throughout Sunday’s nine-race offering at Aqueduct, with split divisions of a second-level optional $40,000 claimer at a mile and 70 yards topping the program.

Trainer Bruce Brown has runners in each division. Towering Moon, making his second start off a layoff and second since being gelded, runs for Brown in race 6. Royal Posse, running as a gelding for the first time, is entered in race 8.

Race 6 marks the 10-year-old debut of Writingonthewall, who went 5 for 9 last year with most of his success coming in sprint races. Race 8 includes Went the Day Well, who has not won since taking the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes in 2012, a prelude to a fourth-place finish in that year’s Kentucky Derby.

Race 6

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KEY CONTENDERS

Towering Moon (Last 3 Beyers: 70-81-85)

◗ He comes off a third-place finish behind Be Bullish at this condition going six furlongs on Jan. 3. That was Towering Moon’s first start off a 10-month layoff and first as a gelding.

“He has a history of breaking bad, but if he breaks okay, he should be sitting on a good race off the last one,” Brown said. “We needed to get a race in him. There should be pace, which he needs.”

◗ He finished second in two tries at this condition going two turns, including a neck loss at 50-1 last Feb. 10.

Writingonthewall (Last 3 Beyers: 93-93-86)

◗ He finished his 9-year-old season with four wins and a second in his last five starts on dirt. However, his lone loss came in his lone try around two turns.

◗ He won twice going long over the inner track last winter.

◗ He does his best work on the front end but may find pace pressure in the form of Goodtolook, who breaks from the rail.

Pax in Terra (Last 3 Beyers: 75-52-64)

◗ He has recorded both career wins going long over the inner track, including a three-length score in a first-level allowance here on Dec. 15.

◗ He should benefit if there is a speed duel.

Race 8

KEY CONTENDERS

Royal Posse (Last 3 Beyers: 70-77-84)

◗ He returns from a near-two-month break and has been gelded in the interim.

“He’s a big, heavy horse and we felt gelding him might lighten him up a little bit,” Brown said. “He’s a horse that had been running better on an off track, so we’ll see how he runs on [a fast] track.”

◗ Since he was claimed for $25,000 last September, Royal Posse had 2 wins and 2 seconds before running fourth at 6-5 in his last start on Cigar Mile Day.

“He was coming into his own right before we claimed him,” Brown said. “He could have a bright future if he keeps moving forward.”

Wildniteattheopera (Last 3 Beyers: 68-73-72)

◗ He has 2 wins and 2 seconds from 4 career starts, including a one-length loss when second at this condition on Jan. 4.

◗ He has won on fast and wet tracks.

This Hard Land (Last 3 Beyers: 77-84-88)

◗ He is a bit inconsistent from a win perspective, but he usually comes with a late run to get himself in the trifecta and superfecta.