OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Not that she necessarily needs them, but trainer Linda Rice appears to have some reinforcements on the way for the winter. Downtown Mischief, a two-time female sprint stakes winner earlier this year for Rice, makes her return to the races off a 159-day layoff in a second-level/optional $62,500 claiming race going seven furlongs that serves as the feature Thursday at Aqueduct. In what is likely to be the case on weekdays moving forward, only eight races were carded for Thursday, meaning first post will be 12:50 p.m. Downtown Mischief, a 3-year-old New York-bred daughter of Into Mischief, has won 4 of 6 starts, including the Cicada Stakes in March and the restricted Bouwerie Stakes in May. She has not run since finishing fifth, 14 1/2 lengths behind Maple Leaf Mel, in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 8 at Belmont Park. “She had a nice campaign, had a pretty subpar race in the summer. She had been in training since she was a yearling, I said let’s give her a break,” Rice said. “We gave her three months off, and she’s come back very well.” Though Downtown Mischief won the Bouwerie at seven furlongs, Rice said she would have preferred to bring her back at six furlongs off the layoff. “I don’t want to wait another three or four weeks to run her,” Rice said. “She’s ready to run now.” :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Rice has another filly in the race, Ain’t Broke, who won a first-level allowance by 5 1/2 lengths in November in her first start off the claim. “That filly’s been running a mile,” Rice said. “We’re splitting the difference.” Jose Lezcano rides Downtown Mischief from post 4. Eric Cancel is on Ain’t Broke from the rail. Give Me Kisses came off an 11-month layoff to win a first-level allowance by 3 1/2 lengths on Nov. 5. While that victory came while dueling on the lead through modest fractions, her debut win at Aqueduct in November 2022 came from off the pace. Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. also has a pair of entrants in this spot, Mursal and Essaouira. Mursal, a 4-year-old daughter of Classic Empire, is coming off a win in a starter-allowance race here Oct. 26 going seven furlongs. Mursal was scratched out of a second-level allowance race here Sunday for this spot. Essaouira, 3-year-old daughter of Super Saver, is making her first start for Dutrow after making her first eight starts for Graham Motion. Her form is spotty, having raced mostly on turf, but she is 2 for 3 on dirt, albeit both wins coming at Delaware Park. Gunfyre Gal, 4-year-old Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Gun Runner trained by John Servis, ships up from Maryland following a runner-up finish behind Majestic Creed in an open second-level allowance. Majestic Creed came back to win the Susquehanna Valley Stakes at Penn National by 7 1/4 lengths on Nov. 30. Starship Defiant, fifth in this condition last out here Oct. 4, completes the field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.