Thursday races off the turf, I Dare U figures heavy favorite in Tepin

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - I Dare U looms a short-priced favorite for Thursday’s $100,000 Tepin Stakes at Aqueduct, a race originally scheduled for the turf, but one that will now be run on the dirt at one mile.

New York Racing Association officials announced Wednesday afternoon that all three scheduled turf races for Thursday’s card would be run on the main track. On Wednesday, there was still patches of snow on the turf from a storm that brought about two inches of snow to the New York metropolitan area Monday night into Tuesday morning.

George Weaver, the trainer and part-owner of I Dare U, confirmed via text message Wednesday afternoon that I Dare U would run Thursday. She had also been entered in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes, which drew a field of 12.

I Dare U was the only main-track-only entrant in the Tepin. A daughter of Daredevil, I Dare U was a first-out winner going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park on Oct. 25. Ridden by Manny Franco in that race, I Dare U made the lead rather easily after a half-mile in 48.33 seconds. Challenged in upper stretch by 1-5 favorite Mrs. S, I Dare U ran away from that one in the lane under a vigorous hand ride from Franco.

I Dare U will break from the rail under Franco on Thursday.

There were six 2-year-old fillies entered for the Tepin on turf though trainer Shug McGaughey said Sunday that Enola Gay likely would scratch due to a cough.

Among the others, More Glitter did win on dirt, taking a 1 1/16-mile maiden race originally scheduled for the turf at Belmont on Oct. 23. Trainer Todd Pletcher had hoped to run More Glitter on the turf, but will likely keep her in this spot.

Antoinette, a daughter of Hard Spun, won a 1 1/16-mile turf race by a head at Belmont on Oct. 24. Trainer Bill Mott said earlier this week that he would definitely consider running Antoinette on the dirt.

Trainer Christophe Clement entered both Logic N Reason and Stretchthestory in the Tepin. Both fillies have run exclusively on the turf and Logic N Reason would likely have been favored had the race stayed on turf. Stretchthestory, a daughter of Lookin At Lucky, has yet to run beyond six furlongs or on the dirt.

Quality Heat, a daughter of Quality Road trained by Mark Casse, has run on synthetic and turf. Quality Heat is a full sister to Frank Conversation, a stakes winner on both turf and synthetic.

The Tepin goes as race 3 on a nine-race card that begins at 12:20 p.m.

The other two races scheduled for the turf Thursday were a maiden $40,000 claimer that was carded as the first, and a New York-bred entry-level allowance carded as the eighth. They will be run at their scheduled distances of six furlongs and one mile, respectively.