Jenny Kellner
NYRA/Aqueduct Racetrack

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – New York-breds Mighty Morris and Good Law have not been in Tom Bush’s barn for very long, but so far, the trainer likes what he sees. Saturday afternoon at Aqueduct Racetrack, Bush is hoping the pair will take a step up against five other state-breds in the $65,000 Kings Point Handicap.

The 1 1/8th mile Kings Point, which will be run for the 30th time, will be the fourth race on a card that includes the Grade 3, $100,000 Cicada for 3-year-old fillies, which was rescheduled from last Saturday and which will be run as the ninth of 10 races.

Five Ways Farm’s Mighty Morris, who arrived at Bush’s barn in December, has made three starts on the inner track for his new trainer, finishing a narrow second on New Year’s Day, wiring the field for a 6¾-length allowance win on January 21 and then prevailing by a head in the mud in an optional claimer on February 28.

The Kings Point will be the first stakes appearance for the 5-year-old gelded son of Wheelaway, who has won three of his nine lifetime starts, but Bush thinks the timing is right.

“It’s very ambitious, that’s for sure,” said Bush. “But he’s certainly done well on the inner track, and it appears he has an affinity for it. There’s not an overwhelming amount of speed in the race, and it’s a good opportunity to take a chance.”

Mighty Morris, 4-1 on the morning line, drew post No. 5 and will be ridden by Channing Hill.

Michael Anania’s Good Law, another recent arrival, broke his maiden at Aqueduct two years ago, but since June of 2008 has been campaigning at Finger Lakes, where he fashioned a record of 6-2-3 from 17 starts.

In his first start for Bush, the 5-year old gelded son of Good and Tough rallied to take an optional claimer on January 24 by 1½ lengths, but broke in the air in an overnight stakes here on February 20, finishing sixth as the favorite.

“He had a terrible break and lost all chance,” said Bush. “He has a little bit of history about acting up in the gate, so we have been working with him on it. There’s a little bit of a question mark about the distance; a mile and an eighth may be a hair too far for him.

“But, if he behaves in the gate and breaks well, he will be running at the end.”

Good Law, 12-1 on the morning line, will break from post No. 3 with jockey Rosie Napravnik aboard.

The Todd Pletcher-trained Manteca, second to Wishful Tomcat in last year’s Kings Point, recently returned from a nine-month layoff following that race to finish second and third in a pair of optional claimers. Owned by Anstu Stables, the 5-year-old son of Aptitude has hit the board in all seven of his starts at Aqueduct, including a pair of inner track victories last winter.

Manteca, 5-2 on the morning line, will be ridden by David Cohen from post No. 6.

Icabad Crane hasn’t won since taking the Frederico Tesio at Pimlico in April, 2008, but has come close in his two most recent starts. The 5-year-old son of Jump Start finished second by a half-length to Well Positioned on February 15 and was second to Redding Colliery on January 2, both times in optional claimers going 1 1/16th miles.

Icabad Crane drew the rail as the 7-5 morning-line favorite and will be ridden by Gabriel Saez.

Making his 57th start Saturday is Naughty New Yorker, who just missed seeing the winners’ circle for the first time in two years when he was headed by Almighty Silver in an overnight stakes here on February 20. Racing with blinkers off, the 8-year-old son of Quiet American will break from post No. 2 with another veteran, jockey Jean-Luc Samyn, aboard.

Completing the field are See More Spirit, fourth in the Hollie Hughes in his most recent start, and Rodeo Hand, seventh behind Mighty Morris on February 28.

The field for the Kings Point: Icabad Crane (7-5), G Saez; Naughty New Yorker (6-1), J Samyn; Good Law (12-1), A R Napravnik; See More Spirit (12-1), R Migliore; Mighty Morris (4-1), C Hill; Manteca (5-2), D Cohen; and Rodeo Hand (30-1), P Fragoso.