Since its inception in 1993, just
three Amsterdam
winners have gone on to take the Grade 1 Foxwoods King’s Bishop: Chimes Band
(1994), Secret Firm (1998) and Discreetly Mine (2010). This year, trainer Donnie
Von Hemel is hoping Caleb’s Posse
becomes the next 3-year-old to be added to that list after Saturday’s race.
Sent off at 12-1, Caleb’s Posse
made a five-wide rally at the top of the stretch to win the Grade 2 Amsterdam by
four lengths on August 1. This year’s Foxwoods King’s Bishop, which will be run
for the 27th time, is shaping up as an extraordinarily competitive
race with the return of juvenile champion
Uncle Mo and
graded stakes winners Flashpoint, Dominus, and Justin Phillip.
“The
Amsterdam was probably the
best race of his life. I thought he could compete in that race, but I was
surprised that he dominated the last part of the race,” Von Hemel said. “Can he
repeat that? The competition is a little tougher this time around. We’re going
to see what he can do. He had a nice gallop at dawn, then schooled in the
paddock. Everything looks good.”