Wet track would greatly help Herald Square

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Rain is in the forecast for Friday and that's simply delightful news to trainer Carl Domino, who plans to run Herald Square in the day's featured entry-level allowance race at 1 1/8 miles over Aqueduct's main track.

"I hope it starts and doesn't stop,'' Domino said.

Herald Square is only 2 for 15 in his career, but both of those wins have come on off tracks, including a seven-length victory in a starter allowance over the inner track on Dec. 11. His other win came in a one-mile off-the-turf maiden race over the main track last April 5.

"Every now and then you get a horse who loves a particular surface, and he's one of them,'' Domino said. "This horse really loves an off track. Even when he trains in the morning he loves an off track.''

An affinity for an off track runs in the family. Herald Square is a half-brother to Outofthebox, who won the 2001 Super Derby in the mud .

Friday's feature drew a field of six, but Cellar Dweller is expected to scratch and instead run in Saturday's Grade 1 Wood Memorial.

That scratch would put Go Swiftly on the rail and he figures to take advantage of that position as well as being the lone speed in the race under C.C. Lopez. Go Swiftly comes off a 3 3/4-length, front-running victory in a maiden race over the inner track on March 7.

After competing in graded stakes in California and New York, Axel Foley drops to the allowance ranks for the first time. Jockey Richard Migliore said Axel Foley got pinched back at the start of the Gotham and was compromised by a slow pace. He figures to have the horse closer to the early pace on Friday.

Haitian Sensation has finished first or second in four two-turn starts over the inner track for trainer Seth Benzel. In his last start, he couldn't run down a loose-on-the-lead Lord Justice, who is entered back in Saturday's Wood Memorial.

Benzel described Haitian Sensation as a grinder-type who should benefit from the 1 1/8 miles of Friday's race.

"I think he's a legitimate stayer; he has a high cruising speed,'' Benzel said. "I'm looking forward to the mile and an eighth. I think it'll benefit him.''

The first two turf races of the season are carded for Friday, but with rain in the forecast, it is quite possible one or both will get moved to the main track.