OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When it looks this easy, it typically doesn’t turn out to be that way. But going into Saturday’s $150,000 Ladies Stakes at Aqueduct, the factors that favor Tizzy in the Sky are hard to look past in the 1 1/8-mile stakes race being run for the 153rd time. In what could be her final career start before heading to the breeding shed, Tizzy in the Sky will be running over her favorite surface – she is 5 for 8 at Aqueduct, 0 for 5 elsewhere – her preferred distance, and she looks like the controlling speed in the compact five-horse field. All of that may explain why the racing office carded the Ladies as race 2 on a nine-race card that begins at 12:10 p.m. In her three victories at 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct – which includes the Top Flight Invitational in April – Tizzy in the Sky has won by nine lengths or more. All three victories came in front-running fashion. In the Grade 3 Go for Wand, going one mile here Dec. 7, Tizzy in the Sky came off a six-month layoff to win by a half-length. “I thought it was a big effort off a bit of a layoff,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, a four-time winner of the Ladies. “She’s certainly fine at a mile, but a mile and an eighth is her preferred trip.” :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. With the rail draw and Kendrick Carmouche aboard, Tizzy in the Sky is expected to establish forward position from the rail and attempt to take this race gate to wire. “Her strength is her relatively high cruising speed and the ability to keep going,” Pletcher said. “On paper, she’s probably the pace coming from the inside, so we’ll let Kendrick do his thing.” In addition to having the speed horse in the field, Pletcher also has the late-running Julia Shining, who won the Grade 2 Demoiselle at this 1 1/8-mile distance in 2022 but hadn’t won again until taking a second-level allowance going a one-turn mile here Dec. 1. She overcame a stumbling start that day to win by 3 1/4 lengths, an encouraging sign for the daughter of Grade 1 winners Curlin and Dreaming of Julia. Like Tizzy in the Sky, Julia Shining won that race off a lengthy layoff following a fourth-place finish in the Allaire duPont Stakes at Pimlico in May. Pletcher believes Julia Shining will be more effective at this longer trip. “This is more of what she’s looking for,” said Pletcher, adding that how Julia Shining runs Saturday could dictate whether she remains in training for a 5-year-old campaign. Dylan Davis is in from Florida to ride Julia Shining. Comparative, trained by Brad Cox for Godolphin, will seek to become just the third back-to-back winner of this race in its long history. She has been soundly beaten by Tizzy in the Sky in her last two starts, though her fifth in the Go for Wand was off an eight-month layoff. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  Evidencias, trained by Christophe Clement, finished third in the 2024 Ladies. She won the Turnback the Alarm going 1 1/8 miles here Nov. 3 before finishing third in the Carousel on Dec. 21 at Laurel Park. Just Music, trained by Linda Rice, is coming off a narrow allowance win here at 1 1/8 miles on Dec. 6. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.