Fuzzy Britches Tops Dearly Precious

When Lansdon B. Robbins, III’s Fuzzy Britches made her debut last summer in a maiden claiming race, trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. naturally was pleased with her 3¾-length victory. Two starts later, when she finished a solid third to Dad’s Crazy in the off-the-turf Miss Grillo at Belmont Park, he was satisfied with that effort, too. And when she started her 3-year-old campaign with a come-from-behind allowance win sprinting over the inner track at Aqueduct at January 6, he was very happy, indeed.

“She keeps getting a little better each time,” said Dutrow, who will saddle the daughter of Pollard’s Vision as the 5-2 morning-line favorite against six other sophomore fillies in Sunday’s $65,000 Dearly Precious, the featured fourth race in the Big A’s 10-race Valentine’s Day card. “I don’t think she’s found her complete game yet.”

In six lifetime starts, Fuzzy Britches is 2-2-2, including a third in the Grade 2 Demoiselle going 1 1/8^th miles over Aqueduct’s main track last November.  In her most recent start, she was second to Age of Humor in the one mile, 70-yard Busanda just three days after her allowance win. Sunday, she will get a little more than a month between starts and also will turn back to six furlongs.

“She ran well sprinting on the inner track, even though she didn’t switch leads, and I think she ran as best she could in the Busanda,” said Dutrow. “So, I’m happy to run her back on the inner.  She might be a little better sprinting, but I may also try her in a one-turn mile or on the grass, eventually. We’ll keep throwing curve balls at her, and we’ll see if she keeps hitting them.”

Ramon Dominguez, the leader rider at Aqueduct, has the mount from post position No. 2.

Crossed Sabres Farm’s Indian Burn is looking for her third straight win in the Dearly Precious, having added a come-from-behind victory in the six-furlong Ruthless on January 10 to her maiden score at Belmont in October. Trained by John Hertler, the gray daughter of Indian Charlie finished third in her debut in September after breaking slowly.

Indian Burn, 9-2 on the morning line, will carry top weight of 122 pounds, including Richard Migliore, as she breaks from post No. 5.

Ben Perkins, Sr.’s Judge Sonya returns from the Mid-Atlantic for another tour of the inner track, where she finished third behind Age of Humor and Fuzzy Britches in the Busanda, beaten 1½ lengths. The daughter of Delaware Township was 2-1-0 as a 2-year-old, with a maiden victory at The Meadowlands and an allowance score at Penn National.

C.C. Lopez rides Judge Sonya, 5-1 on the morning line, from post No. 7.

Also coming in from out of town are John Salzman, Sr.’s Gator Prowl, who launched her 3-year-old campaign with a pair of allowance victories at Laurel Park, and Tom Coulter’s Bellflower, who has fashioned a 2-1-1 record in four starts at Penn National.

Rounding out the field are a pair of more familiar faces in Saul Kupferberg’s Wild News, who will race with blinkers on after finishing a well-backed fourth in the Ruthless, and Team Penney Racing’s Sweet Venom, a supplemental entry coming off a 2½-length maiden score here on January 24.

The field for the Dearly Precious: