Bears Mafia: From fire to rain

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A pair of allowance races restricted to New York-breds are the co-features on Aqueduct’s eight-race Friday card, the complexion of which is likely to be impacted by fire and rain.

Race 4 is a second-level allowance with a $40,000 claiming option at six furlongs featuring Bears Mafia, who has won seven of his last eight starts. Bears Mafia is trained by Jeffrey Englehart and is stabled in Barn 60, which on Tuesday had a fire, forcing the evacuation of all horses stabled in that barn.

Englehart said Wednesday that Bears Mafia was on the other side of the barn from where the fire started and was hustled out before the smoke got to his side. Bears Mafia and the other Englehart horses were taken to a nearby barn.

Englehart said Bears Mafia just walked on Wednesday and that he hoped to train him Thursday and evaluate the situation then.

Bears Mafia, a 5-year-old gelding by Verrazano, won the Kelly Kip, a starter stakes on March 27 at Aqueduct. That race was his first since he was eased and vanned off on Nov. 15 in a spot similar to Friday’s race. Englehart said Bears Mafia “just had a bad day” that afternoon.

Bears Mafia, breaking from the rail Friday, figures to be part of what looks to be a hotly contested early pace. Steam Engine, who was disqualified from a win in this condition two starts back on Feb. 25, was fourth behind Dark Money when part of the pace on March 20.

Friday, as he was in February, Steam Engine is available to be claimed for $40,000.

Dark Money, trained by Karl Broberg, could get the same pace scenario Friday as he got when he won March 20.

Dark Money is a two-time winner over a wet track, and those conditions are likely to be in play with rain expected all day Thursday and into Friday.

Scilly Cay was second in this condition to repeat winner Jemography on Jan. 7 before a terrible start cost him position when running sixth on Jan. 30.

“Bad break last time, hopefully it goes much better,” trainer Linda Rice said. “There looks like a lot of speed in the race.”

Race 7 is a second-level allowance with a $40,000 claiming option at a mile. Control Group, a 16-time winner and potential pace player, is not expected to run as he was one of the horses trainer Wayne Potts had stabled in Barn 60.

That could leave Daddy Knows as the horse to catch and beat for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Daddy Knows is back with New Yorkbreds after finishing third in an open-company first-level allowance on Feb. 21. He is a two-time winner on an off track.

Wild Banker got a perfect setup winning a first-level allowance for statebreds on March 19 over a wet track.

Cold Hard Cash, trained by Rice, is looking to bounce back from a sixth-place finish in this condition on March 14.

“He didn’t break well that day and he’s happier when he’s laying close and stalking,” Rice said.