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Etched hoping to draw off in Meadowlands Cup As his fifth birthday approaches, Darley's homebred ETCHED (Forestry) has had what could be safely described as an underachieving career on the racetrack. Limited to just five starts over the past two years due to various infirmities, the Kiaran McLaughlin pupil can begin to live up to his early promise with a victory in the $300,000 Meadowlands Cup (G2) on Friday night. The chestnut will break on the far outside in the field of nine, which will go 1 1/8 miles. Etched stamped himself as an exciting prospect for the 2008 classics with two scores by a combined 13 1/4 lengths as a juvenile, including a 6 1/2-length romp in the one-mile Nashua S. (G3) at Aqueduct over ANAK NAKAL (Victory Gallop). Sent to Dubai to prepare for the Kentucky Derby (G1), Etched wound up making only one start, suffering his lone defeat to date when fourth by six lengths in the U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3). It would be nine months before Etched returned to the races, passing his second allowance condition at Aqueduct last November. Another nine months passed before Etched returned to the public eye to pass his third allowance condition at Saratoga on September 3, but the son of 2001 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner Unbridled Elaine (Unbridled) did so in style by 1 1/4 lengths going 1 1/8 miles while earning a 107 BRIS Speed rating. Alan Garcia, the only jockey to ride Etched in the United States, will be back aboard Friday. The inconsistent Anak Nakal will be making his first start since a last-place effort in the March 28 Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) in his debut for trainer Richard Dutrow. Previously trained by Nick Zito, Anak Nakal preceded a second-place finish in this event last year with a score in the Pennsylvania Derby (G2), his only win from nine starts last season. He's been unplaced in all four starts since the 2008 Meadowlands Cup. IT'S A BIRD (Birdonthewire), who registered wins in the Lone Star Park H. (G3) and Sunshine Millions Classic earlier this year, takes a step down in class following a fifth-place performance behind Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) in the Woodward S. (G1) on September 5. The six-year-old was also unplaced in the Suburban H. (G2) two back, but might have found the 1 1/4 miles of that race too far. Multiple Grade 3 veteran KISS THE KID (Lemon Drop Kid) might be slightly better on grass, but has placed in several Grade 3 events on dirt. Zito will be represented by Grade 2 winner COOL COAL MAN (Mineshaft), who has been more at home in the overnight stakes ranks of late, while GOOD AND LUCKY (Wild Rush) turned in his best effort in months when landing the September 19 Formal Gold S. at Monmouth Park. SOLAR FLARE (Arg) (Salt Lake), another inconsistent sort, is capable of producing a winning effort when circumstances suit. A pair of $60,000 turf stakes highlight the Meadowlands Cup undercard. FLORENTINO (Jpn) (Swept Overboard), twice unplaced since taking the Jefferson Cup (G2) in June, will battle Choice S. winner LAUREATE CONDUCTER (Bernstein) in the 1 3/8-mile Princeton S., while dual Saratoga stakes winner AWAKINO CAT (Stormy Atlantic) heads a field of nine crack sprinters in the Thomas Edison S. over five furlongs.
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