With the potential for significant rainfall in the New York metropolitan area Thursday, handicappers will take a wait-and-see approach to Friday’s featured eighth race at Aqueduct, a second-level optional $62,500 claimer scheduled for one mile on turf. With the temporary rails at their current 18-foot setting, field size is capped at 10. As the luck of the draw would have it, Plainview, the one to catch and beat after winning three of his last four starts, is one of four also-eligible horses, including dirt-only entrants Noble Moon and Life in Shambles. Plainview, a 7-year-old gelding with 11 wins and earnings surpassing $600,000 on grass, was claimed for $62,500 last month by owner and trainer David Jacobson out of a win against similar competition at Belmont Park. His last start over the Big A turf was a runner-up finish in the Three Coins Up Stakes in November 2013. Whether the race is run on turf or the main track should make little difference to Eh Cumpari, Picozza, and Skill Not Luck. In fact, Eh Cumpari’s career debut here last fall was rained off the turf, and the son of Elusive Quality looped the field from last to win at odds of 45-1 for trainer Michael Dilger. Three starts later, he again rallied from dead last to win the Grade 3 Palm Beach on turf at Gulfstream Park. “He’s out of a Sadler’s Wells mare, which is a little unusual in America,” said Dilger. “I think an Elusive Quality will probably go either way. He does seem to function on both [surfaces].” The Todd Pletcher-trained Picozza will be shooting for a third straight victory after beating restricted claimers on turf and taking an off-the-turf optional claimer in the mud. :: Bet Aqueduct with DRF Bets and get FREE access to this article and all of DRF Plus, including Aqueduct selections, video, and real-time analysis. Skill Not Luck, the most lightly raced horse in the lineup with just five starts, has posted identical Beyer Speed Figure tops of 80 on turf and dirt for Chad Brown, who topped the trainers’ standings with seven wins heading into the third week of the meet. Race 8 KEY CONTENDERS Plainview (Last 3 Beyers: 91-93-91) ◗ Won on soft turf in 2012, and several subsequent starts on non-firm ground were in stakes, most recently a fourth in the 2014 Knickerbocker. Eh Cumpari (Last 3 Beyers: 69-74-78) ◗ Has run exclusively in stakes since lighting up the Aqueduct tote board first time out, including a fourth in the Woodhaven on this course at the spring meet. DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Eh Cumpari. Trainer Michael Dilger is 16-1-2-2 with a $0.64 ROI over the past five years in turf routes with John Velazquez aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan :: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs :: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts Noble Moon (Last 3 Beyers: 92-82-90) ◗ Dirt-only entrant is winless from 12 starts since taking the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct’s 2014 winter meet. ◗ Four of his five defeats on Aqueduct’s main track were in graded stakes, including a third in the 2013 Nashua. DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Picozza. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 8-3-1-1 with $3.38 ROI over the past five years going dirt to turf in routes with last-out winners coming back within 40 days of the prior race. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan