Tough post, extra turn for Leap Day

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Lately it seems as though Ramon Dominguez rides nothing but short-priced contenders, and the beat goes on Thursday. Dominguez has seven mounts, and six of them are no worse than second choice on the morning line, highlighted by Leap Day, the 5-2 choice in race 8, a $45,000 optional claimer with second-level allowance conditions, and Rightly So, a promising 3-year-old filly listed at 8-5 in the opener, a $43,000 first-level allowance.

Since Jan. 1 in New York, Dominguez has won nearly half the time with favorites (47 for 101), but in the one-mile feature he will need to call on all his expertise with Leap Day, who has never before been two turns and drew the far outside post against eight rival New York-breds.

"I was pretty sick when I saw [the draw]," said Leap Day's trainer, Mike Hushion. "Hopefully, he's good enough to overcome it. At least I've got the right rider."

The comment line from Leap Day's six-furlong allowance win two starts back reads "fully extended late," but that may be debatable, as the 5-year-old gelding gets blinkers on for the first time Thursday.

"Ramon made the remark that he ran 'spotty,' and that he was a better horse than he showed that day" Hushion explained. "I didn't want to put them on next time with a different rider."

Last time out, Leap Day moved up to the second-level condition and wound up chasing Driven by Success, a freakishly fast statebred sprinter who has won his last three by a combined 23 lengths, including Commentator-like Beyer Speed Figures of 106 and 107.

Other contenders include Freddy the Cap, who steps up after a win at the mile distance against $14,000 statebred claimers; Oedipus O'Neal, who received the unusual comment "jumped paper far turn" in an open starter handicap last out; and Typhoon Tycoon, who was second by a nose at 51-1 in this condition two starts back.

Dominguez is live all day, beginning in race 1 with the Tony Dutrow-trained Rightly So, who figures to be the shortest-priced runner on the card.

Rightly So, a $220,000 daughter of Read the Footnotes, was odds-on for her second career start Jan. 25, and she didn't disappoint, setting the fastest fractions of the day and winning in hand by better than 10 lengths. She has worked three times since then, capped by a bullet five furlongs Saturday.