Aqueduct: Caixa Eletronica at best distance in Uncle Mo Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Caixa Eletronica has not raced since feasting on four opponents in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap last Thanksgiving over Aqueduct’s main track.

Caixa Eletronica looks like he should find his four rivals beatable when he makes his 8-year-old debut in Thursday’s $75,000 Uncle Mo Stakes over Aqueduct’s inner track. He makes his comeback after being sidelined most of the winter with a bruised foot.

Thursday was to have marked the opening of the main-track season, but last week’s Nor’easter prompted New York Racing Association officials to extend the inner-track meet by one week.

The Uncle Mo was originally scheduled for seven furlongs, but with it being run on the inner it has been shortened to six. That might actually work out better for Caixa Eletronica, who is using this as a stepping-stone to next month’s $1.5 million Charles Town Classic, a 1 1/8-mile race he won last year when it was worth $1 million.

In his last five starts at six furlongs, Caixa Eletronica has three stakes wins and a runner-up finish to The Lumber Guy in the Grade 1 Vosburgh. Caixa Eletronica is winless in his last four starts at seven furlongs, failing to finish in the money in any of those races.

“In the big picture of things, three-quarters is his bag, he’s got a bit of an abbreviated work tab, he gets plenty out of his gallops,” said Michael McCarthy, the New York-based assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher. “He’s worked his magic at three-quarters. Basically, he doesn’t care how far it is, he just shows up.”

Hard to argue that point. Caixa Eletronica has a record of 19-8-11 from 60 starts and has banked nearly $1.6 million. He has earned more than $1.3 million since owner Mike Repole claimed him for $62,500 on March 9, 2011, at Gulfstream Park.

Following his four-length victory in the Fall Highweight, in which he equaled his career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 107, Caixa Eletronica was being pointed to the Grade 3 Toboggan on Feb. 2, but missed a month of training due to the foot issue.

“We gave him nearly a month to go ahead and get him right; he responded well,” McCarthy said. “Everything seems in good order, and we look forward to getting him back.”

With a lack of speed in the field and with him breaking from the rail, Caixa Eletronica figures to be on or near the lead under Javier Castellano, who is in to ride.

Broad Rule ships in from Maryland for trainer Richard Small. Broad Rule won the Fire Plug Stakes at six furlongs two starts back before finishing fourth – he was placed third via disqualification – in the Grade 3 General George at Laurel. Under the conditions of the race, Broad Rule concedes 3 pounds to Caixa Eletronica.

“The horse is doing great,” Small said. “Pletcher’s horse looks almost like a lead-pipe cinch, but you don’t want to scratch away from one horse. It’s only five horses, it’s worth the trip for us.”

Chasin the Cash, Ponzi Scheme, and St Liams Halo complete the quintet.