Stolen Base wheels back quick, should get pace to chase

A couple of key scratches and the likelihood of a wet track figure to change the complexion of Thursday’s sixth race, a multi-conditioned allowance feature going seven furlongs at Aqueduct.

First, both of trainer Rick Dutrow’s entrants – Kinetic Sky and Petulante – will scratch. Kinetic Sky is no longer eligible for this condition after winning Saturday’s Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct. Petulante ran third in the Stymie off a nine-month layoff and will scratch, according to Dutrow, who added that both horses came out of the Stymie in good condition.

That leaves a field of six led by recent allowance winner Stolen Base, trained by Bruce Levine, and the coupled entry of Divine Armor and Synthesis from the barn of David Jacobson.

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Stolen Base is coming off a sharp 3 1/4-length win going 6 1/2 furlongs Feb. 23. In his previous two starts, both at a mile, Stolen Base finished fifth, beaten only 1 3/4 lengths, and then sixth, beaten nine lengths. Both of those races were in the mud, a track condition that could be in play Thursday if the forecast this week is accurate.

Levine thinks those results were more of a distance issue than a wet-track issue.

“I really think the horse wanted to sprint, that’s why I ran him short,” said Levine, noting the 5-year-old son of Bodemeister hadn’t sprinted since he was 2. “The first time I ran him, he ran okay. The second time I ran him, he ran until about the eighth pole. I cut him back and I thought he ran tremendous.”

Levine’s bigger concern for Thursday is wheeling Stolen Base back 16 days after that last race, in which he ran his career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 92.

“If I don’t run him, the next one isn’t going to be until April,” Levine said. “In the winter, dance when you can dance.”

Isaac Castillo rides Stolen Base from post 4.

If nothing else, Stolen Base should get some pace in which to close. Swiftsure, who has the rail and Kendrick Carmouche, figures to go as does Winit, from post 2, and potentially Synthesis.

Synthesis stumbled badly at the break of a one-mile allowance that was won handily by the graded stakes winner Law Professor. Two starts back, in the same one-mile race in which Stolen Base finished fifth, Synthesis ran second after pressing the pace.

Should Synthesis keep Swiftsure company up front, that could set things up for his late-running stablemate Divine Armor, who was a closing second in an $62,500 optional claimer last out.

On Jan. 12, Divine Armor finished third in this condition, three-quarters of a length behind runner-up Swiftsure.

Nova Rags won this same condition Dec. 15 when the money-won clause was $60,000 for eligibility purposes. Thursday, the money-won clause is $55,000 and in his most recent win, Nova Rags earned $52,500.

First post for Thursday’s eight-race card is 1:20 p.m.

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