Twin Creeks Racing Stables' graded stakes-winning homebred Law Professor headlines the re-scheduled $150,000 Queens County, a nine-furlong route for 4-year-olds and up at Aqueduct on Saturday.
Originally carded with 11 horses on a Dec. 31 card which was canceled due to heavy fog, the Queens County, which again boasts an 11-horse field, is brought back with nine returning horses and two new additions in Eloquist [post 8, Eric Cancel] and Plot the Dots [post 6, Andrew Wolfsont]. Defectors include Ridin With Biden, who captured the Kris Kringle today at Parx, and Southern District.
Trained by Rob Atras, Law Professor [post 7, Manny Franco] enters from a pair of difficult Grade 1 engagements when second to Life Is Good in the nine-furlong Woodward in October over a sloppy and sealed Big A main track and an even fifth last out in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on November 5 at Keeneland.
While Atras had initially considered the Grade 1 Cigar Mile presented by NYRA Bets on December 3 as a possible return for the 5-year-old Constitution gelding, he elected to wait for added distance and the prospect of easier company.
“We gave him a couple weeks of downtime, but never really took him out of training,” Atras said. “We gave him a couple breezes and this seemed like a good spot. He's already run at Aqueduct and run the mile and an eighth well.”
Law Professor tracked from sixth position through the final turn in the Dirt Mile and angled six-wide for the stretch run to finish 7 1/2-lengths back of the victorious Cody's Wish.
In the Woodward, the dark bay tracked the pacesetting multiple Grade 1-winner Life Is Good throughout, looming large at the top of the lane and staying on strong to the wire, finishing just 1 1/4-lengths in arrears of his talented foe.
Atras said the added distance Saturday should benefit Law Professor after chasing rapid splits at the Breeders' Cup.
“I think he handled two turns well before and the mile and an eighth allows him to get a little better position,” Atras said. “He can sit a little closer and be more forwardly placed than he was in his last race.”
Atras sent out Law Professor to breeze a half-mile in 51.84 seconds on Sunday and said the easy work went well.
“I gave him a real light half. He's good,” Atras said. “Hopefully, he's on his game.”
Law Professor started his career on the West Coast with conditioner Michael McCarthy, taking an off-the-turf edition of the Grade 2 Mathis Mile last December at Santa Anita. The versatile fellow has made three starts for Atras, winning the Tapit over firm turf at Kentucky Downs in September ahead of his recent graded efforts.
Also entered are Forewarned [post 1, Jose Gomez], Unbridled Bomber [post 2, Dylan Davis], Sea Foam [post 3, Jorge Vargas, Jr.], Shooger Ray Too [post 4, Abner Adorno], Naval Aviator [post 5, Jeremy Laprida], Bourbonic [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche], Thomas Shelby [post 10, Jose Lezcano], and Double Crown [post 11, J.D. Acosta].
America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct winter meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.
NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
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