Wicked Trick faces tough rivals two weeks after colic episode

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Less than two weeks after being scratched from the Grade 3 General George Stakes at Laurel Park due to a colic scare, Wicked Trick is slated to return to action in Thursday’s featured third-level allowance/optional $80,000 claiming race at Aqueduct.

Wicked Trick, a winner of six consecutive races, was the second choice on the morning line for the General George on Feb. 15. Upon arrival by van to Maryland, Wicked Trick showed signs of colic and was scratched. Firenze Fire won the General George in a gallop.

Rice said Wicked Trick bounced back quickly from the episode and only missed one day of training.

Rice said “you wouldn’t know anything was wrong” with Wicked Trick. “We treated him down there. We shipped him home that night. I gave him one day off, put the tack back on him the next day, and he’s been fine.”

Rice has Wicked Trick nominated to the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool and the $125,000 Stymie Stakes, both scheduled to be run here March 7. She called running on Thursday “taking the path of least resistance.”

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Wicked Trick is coming off a monster 9 1/4-length victory in a starter-allowance race on Jan. 20. That race, like this one, was a one-turn mile.

This will be a stern test for Wicked Trick, who breaks from the rail under Jose Lezcano. The improving Payne ended his 4-year-old season with back-to-back allowance wins over Aqueduct’s main track for trainer Chad Brown. Payne has a stalking style that may give him first run over Wicked Trick on expected pacesetters Seethisquick and Han Sense. The last time Han Sense ran a one-turn mile at Aqueduct, he finished a well-beaten second to Hemsworth in the 2016 Nashua Stakes.

Kendrick Carmouche, coming off a three-win Sunday at Aqueduct, has the call on Payne from post 3.

Musical America, trained by Rob Atras, is another threat. Musical America won the same second-level allowance/optional-claiming condition at Laurel and Aqueduct, then was second to 2019 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston in this condition here Jan. 31.

In that race, Musical America chased the pacesetting Leitone and drew on equal terms with that one in midstretch when Sir Winston “blew by us all like we were standing still,” Atras said.

Atras said Musical America has trained well since that race.

“I expect him to run well,” Atras said. “It’s a test, it’s a tough race. This time of year, you don’t really see these kinds of races. Some of these horses could be in stakes.”

Musical America breaks from post 6 and will be ridden by Junior Alvarado.

Small Bear, who is just 1 for 14 over the last three years, rounds out the field.

This will be the last scheduled Thursday program at Aqueduct for the winter meet. Starting in March, racing will be conducted three days a week – Friday through Sunday – until the spring meet begins April 2.