It's Tricky, Caleb's Posse to star on Gotham undercard

Dual Grade 1 winner It's Tricky returns to action next

Saturday at Aqueduct in the Grade 2, $200,000 Top Flight Handicap. Trained by

Kiaran McLaughlin for Godolphin Racing, the bay Mineshaft filly wintered in Florida and

will be making her first start since a second-place finish to champion

three-year-old filly Royal Delta in the Breeders' Cup Ladies'

Classic at Churchill Downs last November.

"She shipped up carrying great

weight," said McLaughlin's assistant, Art Magnuson. "She looks really rested,

and she's been training well."

It's Tricky, who won an optional claimer and the Busher Stakes last winter over the Big A's inner track, returned to training at

Palm Meadows on December 24 and most recently covered five furlongs in 1:01 4/5

on February 12. She will have her final serious move over Belmont Park's

training track Saturday morning.

Also scheduled to breeze Saturday morning is Godolphin's Consortium, who is being pointed to the Grade 3,

$400,000 Gotham after a sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Holy Bull, and Emcee, the two-for-two Godolphin colorbearer who will be making his

stakes debut in the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap on the Gotham undercard.

Todd Pletcher also has four of his charges scheduled to breeze Sunday

morning, according to assistant trainer Mike McCarthy.

In addition to Gotham hopefuls Dan and Sheila, and Raconteur, Pletcher pupils

Love and Pride, and Calibrachoa will also prepare for their respective

engagements in the Top Flight and Tom Fool.

Love and Pride, who ran third in the Grade 1 Gazelle Stakes last year,

returned to the winner's circle in late January a seven-length winner of the

Affectionately Stakes. Prior to that, the four-year-old daughter of A.P. Indy

hadn't been first under the wire since a 6 3/4-length romp in the Proud Spell

Stakes in August.

"Pace makes a big difference for her," McCarthy said of Love and Pride. "You

can see every time she can go :48 and change, with those 12-second eighths,

she's always right there at the end."

The Tom Fool is likely to feature last year's winner, Calibrachoa, who is

four-for-four over the Big A's inner track. The Southern Image five-year-old won

three straight stakes after being claimed by Mike Repole for $40,000 in November

2010, including the Grade 3 Toboggan and Tom Fool. He'll enter next Saturday's

race in the same fashion, having defended his title in the Toboggan by 2 1/4

lengths on February 4.

"The horse came out of his race remarkably well; he hasn't missed a beat,"

McCarthy remarked. "He likes the inner track and ran a bang-up race last time.

With a horse like him, you can go over there confident he will bring his 'A'

game."

The top draw in the Tom Fool is expected to be Caleb's Posse, winner of the

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile who will be making his 2012 debut. The four-year-old son

of Posse will be trying Aqueduct for the first time but is no stranger in New

York, having captured the Grade 1 King's Bishop and Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes

last season at Saratoga.

Also expected in the six-furlong Tom Fool are Grade 1 scorer Capt. Candyman

Can, who was third most recently in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Sprint

Championship, and New York-bred hero Giant Ryan, whose victory in the Grade 1

Vosburgh at Belmont capped a six-race win streak that came to an end in the

Breeders' Cup Sprint. Also possible for the race are Grade 3 victor Apriority

and Royal Currier, most recently seventh and third, respectively, in the Florida

Sunshine Millions Sprint.

Joining It's Tricky and Love and Pride in the Top Flight are likely to be

Delightful Mary, second last out in the Florida Sunshine Millions Distaff, and

Grade 2 heroine Juanita, third in the Tiffany Lass Stakes two weeks ago. Bahia

Beach and Bahama Bound, the respective second and third in the Affectionately,

are possible for the 1 1/16-mile Top Flight.

Five familiar faces are targeting the $85,000, 1 1/16-mile Kings Point for

New York-breds on the Gotham undercard, including Grade 3 winners Stormy's

Majesty and Inherit the Gold, who were first and second in the Mr. G. J.G.

overnight stakes on February 12; Socialsaul, runner-up to Inherit the Gold in

the Haynesfield on January 22; Spa City Fever, 34-1 winner of the Alex M. Robb

on December 31 and subsequently fourth and fifth in the Haynesfield and Mr. G.

J.G.; and Writingonthewall, an 8 3/4-length winner of a $30,000 claiming race on

February 9.