Writingonthewall, 10, back from layoff in optional claimer

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With frigid temperatures and high winds in the forecast, Sunday’s nine-race card at Aqueduct is very much in jeopardy of being run. If it is, the main event will be a $59,000 New York-bred second-level optional claimer featuring the 10-year-old debut of Writingonthewall.

Writingonthewall, a winner of 18 of 56 starts, is one of seven horses in the 10-horse field being offered for the optional claiming price of $40,000. The race is scheduled for 1 1/16 miles.

Since being claimed by trainer Michelle Nevin and owner Jimmy Riccio for $20,000 last May, Writingonthewall has won 3 of 5 starts and earned a second-place finish in a spot similar to this at Saratoga, where he hopped at the start and was behind horses early.

Writingonthewall, a gelding by E Dubai, does his best running on the front end and likely will have to avoid dueling with Pretension, who steps up to the $40,000 level after being claimed from a winning effort for $20,000 last month by Linda Rice.

Beneficiaries of a contested pace would be Testosterstone, Royal Posse, and This Hard Land.

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Key contenders

Writingonthewall (Last 3 Beyers: 93-93-86)

* Makes his first start since winning a similarly conditioned race going 6 1/2 furlongs 95 days ago.

* Recorded back-to-back wins going two turns over the inner track last winter.

* Blew out an easy half-mile in 51.11 seconds Thursday over the Belmont training track.

Royal Posse (Last 3 Beyers: 75-70-77)

* Finished fourth as the 5-2 favorite in a similar spot as this when making his first start in two months and his first as a gelding.

* One of three in here running for the second-level allowance condition and not the claiming tag.

Testosterstone (Last 3 Beyers: 77-76-69)

* He made the lead in midstretch, only to get headed and run down by Went the Day Well while finishing second, a length ahead of Royal Posse, in a similar type of race Jan. 25.

This Hard Land (Last 3 Beyers: 77-84-88)

* Stone-cold closer beat Royal Posse in the final jump of an off-the-turf, one-mile race in this same condition Nov. 7 over the main track.

* He is 2 for 17 over the inner track and has lost his last nine starts over this surface.