Turf or dirt, feature is wide open; Maker, Clement each enter a pair

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Friday’s optional-claiming feature at Aqueduct is a competitive race regardless over what surface it is run.

The $84,000 race is scheduled for 1 1/8 miles over the inner turf course and has 11 entered for that surface. There are five additional entrants designated to run only if the race is transferred to the dirt, on which it would also be run at nine furlongs. Rain in the forecast Wednesday and Thursday figures to impact at least some of the four turf races scheduled on Friday’s card.

On turf, trainer Mike Maker has the in-form pair of Hieroglyphics and Conviction Trade. Hieroglyphics, entered for the $62,500 claiming price, is continuing his ascent up the ladder, having won for $25,000 at Saratoga in August and $40,000 at Belmont in October. The 6-year-old gelding by Pioneerof the Nile has won at Aqueduct, taking a $40,000 claiming event going a mile last November.

Manny Franco rides from post 5.

Directly outside of Hieroglyphics is Conviction Trade, whom Maker claimed for $50,000 out of a win at Belmont on Oct. 18. The two most notable aspects of that victory are that it came over yielding turf and that he rallied from last. There are several front-running types in Friday’s race.

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Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Conviction Trade.

Trainer Christophe Clement has the pair of Mr. Alec, a speed horse, and Arthur Kitt, a closer. Both of those horses are entered under the third-level allowance condition of this race.

Mr. Alec had been pretty consistent prior to the Grade 3 Monmouth Stakes on Oct. 1, when he raced close to the pace and in between horses before retreating to seventh.

“No racing luck,” said the diplomatic Clement.

Prior to that, Mr. Alec set the pace under Joel Rosario and finished fourth in this same condition at Saratoga. The winner, Say the Word, set a track record for 1 3/16 miles (1:51.40).

“He only got tired in the last sixteenth of a mile,” Clement said. “I only wish he would have gone just a notch slower, but he ran a good race. Joel was aggressive because he tried to win. I’ve been waiting to run him a mile and a quarter, a mile and three-eighths, but the race doesn’t go.”

Arthur Kitt is returning from a five-month layoff. At Gulfstream Park in April, coming off a nine-month layoff, Arthur Kitt finished a fast-closing second behind Temple, a stakes winner.

“He trained well before and he’s training well now,” Clement said. “The race in Florida was actually very good. He came from off the pace and finished very well.”

Winning Factor, has three wins and two seconds from his last five starts and deserves consideration on turf.

Backsideofthemoon is one of five horses entered for the main track. Over the last year, this 8-year-old gelding has been claimed three times for a total of $225,000. Two of those claims, each for $62,500, were made by trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

Backsideofthemoon finished second in this condition going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Belmont on Sept. 24.

“He tries hard all the time,” Rodriguez said. “He was really unfortunate the other day. They put him into the fence.”

Trainer David Donk has both Winston’s Chance and Musical Heart entered for the main track. Expert is 4 for 7 over Aqueduct’s main track.