AQUEDUCT Duel would aid Heavy Meddle

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – If Friday’s card at Aqueduct looks familiar, it should. Five of the nine races were originally carded for March 2, a program lost to a Nor’easter that brought rain and high winds to the New York area.

Three of the five races kept the same fields, including a secondlevel allowance/optional $40,000 claimer for New Yorkbreds going six furlongs that will serve as the featured event on this nine-race card.

The potential for a speed duel could set things up for Heavy Meddle, who makes his first start in 128 days. His trainer, Bill Mott, seeks his first New York win of 2018.

Heavy Meddle was wide throughout in his last start, on Nov. 11, when beaten four lengths in his first try in this condition. Leana Willaford, Mott’s New York-based assistant, said Heavy Meddle came out of that race with a minor issue that needed to be addressed and has trained well leading up to his return.

“He’s responded very well from it,” Willaford said.

Heavy Meddle was assigned post 3 when this race was originally scheduled. He will break from the outside on Friday, the third straight race in which he’s drawn the outside post.

Mission Command, who beat Heavy Meddle by a head in a maiden race at Belmont last September, makes his first start in 90 days. He won a statebred first-level allowance here by two lengths in the snow on Dec. 9. That race was scheduled for the turf, the surface trainer Rudy Rodriguez believes better suits Mission Command.

“I tried to save him for the grass, but this race came up and it looks like he’s ready to go,” Rodriguez said.

Jewel Can Disco will have to hustle away from the rail to avoid a potential speed duel with the likes of For Pops and Brimstone. Jewel Can Disco has been a beaten favorite in his last two attempts in this condition, finishing third on Jan. 15, a day when the track was arguably the fastest it’s been all meet.

KEY CONTENDERS:

Heavy Meddle, by Medaglia d’Oro Last 3 Beyers: 72-81-83

◗ The Sept. 17 allowance race he won at Belmont has proven productive, with five of the nine horses he beat having come back to win.

◗ Gets the services of Junior Alvarado, who has won 14 races from his last 40 mounts, including four wins on Sunday.

DRF FORMULATOR: Over last three years, Mott is just 5 for 65 (1 for 14 at Aqueduct) on dirt with horses returning from a layoff of 60 to 180 days.

Mission Command, by Mission Impazible Last 3 Beyers: 83-78-77

◗ Could work out a stalking trip under Trevor McCarthy similar to the one he got when winning a first-level statebred allowance here going six furlongs on Dec. 9.

Jewel Can Disco, by Disco Rico Last 3 Beyers: 82-72-85

◗ Has the speed to take this field a long way, depending how much pressure he gets early from Brimstone or For Pops.