A cold, clear air and the rattle of hooves will charge Aqueduct’s main track on Friday, Dec 12, as an eight-race card promises a full afternoon of raw speed, emerging stars and hard-running fillies and colts between 12:40pm–4:04pm. The card is built for drama — sprints that demand instant response, mile tests that reward poise, and maiden events designed to reveal the next wave of dirt runners. Fans drawn to the Big A’s characteristic winter pulse will find a day that balances youthful ambition with seasoned toughness, all under the city’s grey December sky. Expect a bright, fast surface and a program that reads like a workshop for future late-season stories at Aqueduct.
Two feature races that steal the spotlight — the mile filly affair and the state-bred sprint: Aqueduct Race 4 — $85,000 Maiden Special Weight, 1 mile at 2:10pm. This mile test is more than a box on a card — it is a turning point for maiden fillies and mares stepping out from maiden company into a richer challenge. The race asks for tactical speed, a balanced turn of foot and the kind of finishing courage that turns modest promise into a name people remember. Contenders: DIMENSIONALITY, TATANIA, TRANGO TOWER, SHE’S A GEMMA, SNIDE, MY SHERRONA, ELLESMERE ISLAND.
Aqueduct Race 3 — $81,000 Allowance, 6F at 1:40pm. A pure, compressed sprint for state-bred juveniles where speed and gate savvy decide everything. Young fillies conditioned in New York programs will meet their first sharp test over six furlongs — expect tight action, fast fractions and a telling final sixteenth. Contenders: ST. BRIGID’S CROSS, PINKY BRIER, LADY ROSE, LOVELY PASHYN, RINA’S REVENGE, DOPAMINE.
Two $80,000 maiden specials — quick tests that shape careers: Aqueduct Race 2 — $80,000 Maiden Special Weight, 6F at 1:10pm. A furious dash that often crowns the quickest improver on the card. Trainers bring sprinters ready to show early acceleration and gate discipline; this is where raw speed will meet a first real chance to shine. Contenders: SPEIGHTFUL STORM, TOMSCHICKENFINGERS, LIBERTY RISING, PRETRIAL STATEMENT, SAMMY C NOTE, ALZERO.
Aqueduct Race 8 — $80,000 Maiden Special Weight, 6½F at 4:10pm. The late-afternoon sprint that can redefine a stable’s winter plans — six and a half furlongs on Aqueduct calls for balance between speed and stamina and often produces a breakout performance. Contenders: LIFE’S TOO SHORT, BABY MEANIE, PURE MISCHIEF, CENTRAL SPIRIT, MUSIC IN MOTION, PARTY IN THE ARMY, CALVARY HILL, VIOLIN, DEACON BLUES.
Highlights and context — what the card says about this meeting: Aqueduct’s winter meeting is a showcase for dirt specialists and New York-trained talent; the card mixes stakes-level purses and rich maiden opportunities so that promising juveniles, emerging sprinters and improving milers all get their moment. Several races are geared to state-bred programs and local development pathways, which keeps the day grounded in regional racing narratives and gives up-and-coming horses a defined ladder to climb. Look for trainers to use these events as stepping stones into deeper winter campaigns at the Big A.
The remaining races — woven through the afternoon with rising tempo: The card opens with a youthful burst at 12:40pm — a $38,000 Maiden Claiming over 6½ furlongs for two-year-old maidens, a scene of jittery speed and first-time ambitions where fresh faces test early competitiveness. Shortly after the feature sprints, the program moves into a $52,000 Maiden Claiming at 2:40pm (6½f, for maidens three and up), a chance for older juveniles and sophomores to stretch their legs in company. Mid-afternoon brings a route-style test: a $33,000 Claiming mile at 3:10pm for fillies and mares that have yet to notch three wins, a race that rewards balance and sustained rhythm around two turns.
The penultimate heat is a $41,000 Claiming mile at 3:40pm for three-year-olds and upward who have never won two, a contest that often resolves with gritty determination as daylight shifts and rails come into play. Each race slides into the next like chapters in a single afternoon — short tests giving way to milers, juveniles passing the baton to older horses, all framed by Aqueduct’s distinctive winter atmosphere.
The promise of a day to remember: Across eight races, the program marries instant speed with measured stamina, New York-bred storylines with open-company ambition. The Big A’s card is set to produce names that will reappear across the winter and beyond — from a filly who masters a mile to a juvenile who stamps herself over six furlongs. Expect clean, decisive races, a lively crowd drawn to Aqueduct’s seasonal rhythm, and plenty of moments that merit a second look long after the photo finish lights dim.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to racebuzz.
