Aqueduct's main track will open for the spring season on March 21, the New York Racing Association announced. Post time for the first race is 1 p.m. EST. While Aqueduct's 38-day Spring meet officially began on March 12, the effects of winter weather on the racing surface delayed the switch from the Big A's winter strip, the one-mile inner dirt track, to the nine-furlong main track.
It was for this reason that Sunday's Gotham (gr. III) for 3-year-olds, originally scheduled on the main track at a mile, and was kept on the inner track and run at a mile and 70 years, with Alysweep prevailing. Two other stakes last Saturday -- the Toboggoan Handicap and the Broadway Handicap -- were originally scheduled for seven furlongs on the main track, but were run at six furlongs on the inner track. Affirmed Success won the Toboggan while Shawklit Mint won the Broadway.