Crazy Beautiful Back on Dirt in Comely at Aqueduct

A field of eight go in Friday’s $200,000 Comely (G3) at Aqueduct. (Photo credit: © George Zilberman | Dreamstime.com)

The Ken McPeek trained Crazy Beautiful returns to dirt in Friday’s $200,000 Comely (G3) going 1 1/16 miles on the main track that drew a group of eight three-year-old fillies.

Crazy Beautiful ran second in the Valley View (G3) over yielding ground in her last outing at Keeneland on Oct. 29. The filly has been better on dirt, landing in the exacta in seven of her nine starts over a fast dirt surface in her career.

She breaks from the four post as the 3-1 co-second choice with Kendrick Carmouche in the irons.

“The goal is to get her to the American Oaks at the end of the year,” McPeek said. “The Valley View gave me a test drive that she can handle the turf just fine. She’s shown previously that she can run on anything.”

The Mike Maker trained Army Wife is the 7-5 morning line favorite. She was third in the Cotillion (G1) at Parx Racing in her last outing. She is cross entered in Thursday’s Falls City (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Played Hard is the co-second choice at 3-1. The Phil Bauer trainee was beaten a neck by Crazy Beautiful last out in the Seneca Overnight at Churchill Downs. Martin Garcia is in to ride the daughter of Into Mischief.

There are two supporting stakes on Friday’s card at the Big A—the $150,000 Forever Together and the $150,000 Gio Ponti, both on turf.

Let’s head out to Aqueduct for Friday’s featured race of the day:

Free Horse PIcks

Aqueduct Race 9 The Comely G3 3:43 ET

4 Crazy Beautiful 3-1

3 Shalimar Gardens 6-1

6 Army Wife 7-5

5 Played Hard 3-1

Crazy Beautiful

The filly returns to the dirt after a solid effort on yielding turf last out in the Valley View (G3) at Keeneland. IN that outing she chased the early pace and could not get past the loose on the lead gate to wire winner, settling for the runner up spot, edging the third-place finisher by a neck. She won the Seneca Overnight two back at Churchill Downs on the main track by a neck over Played Hard who she faces here again. She has just one tri at nine furlongs where she was outrun in a 10^th place finish in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). She did rebound out of that outing to win the Summer Oaks (G2) and Delaware Oaks (G3), both of those trips at 1 1/16 miles. I like Carmouche picking up the call and he should keep her right in the mix early. The McPeek barn is 24% winners moving runners from dirt to turf.

Shalimar Gardens

This gal stretches out to two turns for the first time in her career. She broke her maiden two back at Belmont Park going a one turn mile in her third career start. She was put in a tough spot last out in the seven furlong Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland where she raced down along the inside and made a mild late run to finish fourth while racing on her wrong lead. The DePaz barn is 28% winners (with a +ROI) moving runners from sprint to route. She should be able to handle more ground. She is by Uncle Mo out of the stakes winner Princess Violet ($777,810) who was a G1 winner sprinting and G1 placed going long, running second in the Mother Goose in 2014.

Army Wife

The Maker trainee is 5-2 in Thursday’s Falls City (G2) at Churchill owns versus older but this seems to be the more logical spot sticking with her age group. She is coming off a third in the Cotillion (G1) last out at Philly, beaten three lengths. The winner Clairiere came back to run fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). Back in April this gal ran third in the Gazelle (G3) over the main track here at nine furlongs. She then won the Black Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico and the Iowa Oaks (G3) at Prairie Meadows. She is the obvious one to beat but is going to be a light price.