A seven-horse field will look to pick up black type for the first time in the new campaign in the 147th running of the $100,000 Ladies Handicap for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up on Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Carded as Race 8, the 1 1/8-mile route is the second of two stakes on the day’s card, joining the rescheduled $100,000 Alex M. Robb for New York-bred 4-year-olds and up in Race 3.
Team Valor International’s Bombshell will return to stakes company for the first time since running sixth in the Grade 1 Beldame on September 30 at Belmont Park. The 5-year-old Bellamy Road mare has run third in optional claimers in back-to-back starts, including a seven-furlong effort on December 22 at Aqueduct.
Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, Bombshell has two wins and two runner-up finishes in five starts at more than a mile, with the only out-of-the-money finish coming in the Beldame, which was contested at the Ladies distance.
Jockey Junior Alvarado, who rode Bombshell last out, will have the return call from the outside post carrying the co-highweight of 117 pounds.
Inconclusive has the benefit of experience winning a stakes, having captured the Northbound Pride Oaks and TaWee in back-to-back races in 2016. Trainer Gary Contessa will see the 5-year-old Include mare make her third consecutive stakes start, drawing post 3 with Jeremy Rose aboard carrying 115 pounds.
Majestic Angel finished third in the Avers Wexler Memorial on September 9 at Arlington before running second against allowance company on November 15. The Majestic Warrior mare ended her 2017 campaign with a seventh-place effort in the Blushing K.D. on December 16 at Fair Grounds.
The Eric Reed trainee will make her Big A debut from the rail with jockey Paco Lopez carrying 117 pounds.
Trainer Linda Rice will saddle a pair of entries, including Crimson Frost, who ran sixth last out...
