LOOKING AHEAD

Friday’s seventh race is an allowance/optional claimer going two turns for sophomore fillies, and it’s an interesting group. The chalk figures to be the Claudio Gonzalez-trained Wonderwall (9-5), The Munnings filly galloped against these sorts two back but was up the track last out in the Busanda at Aqueduct… Another major player might be the Linda Rice trainee Hybrid Eclipse (3-1). She won easily last time in maiden company at the Big A… Longshot Good Measure (15-1) won at first asking and gets Lasix on for trainer Graham Motion. She’s got nice-looking local bloodlines: she’s out of the multiple stakes winner Richetta and is a full to Concealed Identity, who ran in the ’11 Preakness, as well as a half to other hard hitters…

The eighth sees the local return of Shotski (8-1), winner of the 2019 Grade 2 Remsen. Off for almost a year, the Jerry O’Dwyer trainee was up the track last out in an AQU allowance… The favorite is a Todd Pletcher shipper, Dudley Square (9-5). The Into Mischief colt narrowly won a local a-other-than last time… This is a tough group, though, and runners like Plot the Dots and McElmore Avenue, winner of four straight, could have something to say about the outcome…

While Saturday is all about the stakes, you might want to make sure to watch the ninth, a maiden special for three-year-olds going six furlongs. The favorite Hemp (8-5), third on debut for Anthony Farrior, and the second choice is Imagine Hongkong (9-5), a son of Imagining who was the only one of the back markers making up much ground at the end in his debut, when he rallied into second; trainer Gary Capuano has a stellar record with second-time starters… Give a look to Pharoah’s Fury (8-1). The colt is a son of American Pharoah and a half to graded winners Hear the Ghost and Mani Bhavan and graded placed Closing Bell, who earned $560k. He makes his debut here for trainer Marco Salazar…

Sunday’s card features no fewer than four starter/optional claimers and concludes with a maiden claiming event… In the eighth, the last of those starters, Sugar Daddy (5-2) and Bear Force Won (3-1) reconvene. They were separated by just a nose when finishing third and second, respectively, at this level last time out. They could improve that to a one-two finish here… The nightcap is a maiden claimer for three-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles, with a favorite, Helen Gibson (8-5), whose best race came at 5 1/2 furlongs. She’s dropping in class and figures to control it early, but let’s see how it finishes…