Trailing Twelve tries again

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trailing Twelve, a distant fourth behind Achilles of Troy as the favorite in the Count Fleet Stakes, will attempt to bounce back in Thursday's eighth race at Aqueduct.

The 1 1/16-mile route is an allowance/optional claimer with first-level conditions that drew 11 3-year-olds. The field includes the Gary Contessa-trained entry of Sunshine Alpine, a debut winner against $50,000 maiden sprinters, and Wazoo City, whose two best races by far came on the Polytrack surface at Turfway Park.

Behold the Gold, Collector, and Extra Bend, the second-place finisher in the Count Fleet, were entered to be claimed for $75,000.

is stuck in post 11 with jockey Channing Hill, but he won at this condition in his first start on the inner track, also from the outside post. In terms of Beyer Speed Figures, he ran a virtually identical race in the Count Fleet, but that was only good enough to finish 14 lengths behind Achilles of Troy's breakthrough performance.

was favored in the Count Fleet because he had just beaten Achilles of Troy, among others, to graduate from the maiden ranks in his second career start. The effort earned a Beyer Figure of 88, a highly promising figure for a 2-year-old router in December, and it was legitimized by subsequent performances of those who finished behind him: Fourth-place finisher Achilles of Troy turned back to win a maiden sprint before stretching out again to take the Count Fleet, and Greeley's Legacy, four lengths behind Trailing Twelve in third, returned to win a 1 1/8-mile maiden race.

, trained by George Weaver, breezed six furlongs last week. He meets winners for the first time, and breaks from the rail with Jose Santos.

The key to Thursday's eighth race, it appears, is whether Trailing Twelve (post 2 and Eibar Coa) can rebound for trainer Rick Violette Jr., or if he is still feeling the effects of that technical knockout in the Count Fleet. Violette plans no significant adjustments for Trailing Twelve, reasoning that he simply bounced going directly into the Count Fleet off a taxing effort for his maiden win.

Don'tleaveamarc, Skip Along Jet, Epigrammatic, and Rhythm Master complete the field.