Peter
Redekop’s Comedero looks to continue his push towards the head of the class for
three-year-old sprinters, when he takes on six others in Saturday night’s
$400,000 Red Legend at Charles Town.
The
7-furlong Red Legend, now the richest three-year-old sprint in the country, is
the featured event on the track’s third annual Charles Town Sprint Festival
card.
Comedero
comes into the Red Legend after his first start in graded stakes company, which
resulted in a win in the Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico in May. It also
won’t be the first time he’s stepped foot on the Charles Town surface, having
won the Blue & Gold Stakes on the Charles Town Classic card in April.
“We
went there for the $100,000 (Blue & Gold) back in April, to see if he’d
handle the turns and the track,” explained Comedero’s trainer Mike
Stidham. “When we saw that he could, the Red Legend was an obvious spot
to send him back to.”
Robby
Albarado has the mount on the Arkansas-bred Comedero.
The
main competition for Comedero figures to come from multiple graded stakes
winner Backtalk, who gets back to sprinting following three races at a mile or
longer in 2010.
Winner
of the Bashford Manor (G3) and Sanford (G2) as a two-year-old, the Tom Amoss
trainee has been off since his last place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1) in
May.
“The
Kentucky Derby, being a mile and a quarter probably isn’t his game,” said
Amoss. “We’re fully aware of how good Comedero is, but we freshened him
after the Derby
and hope he’ll be sharp enough on Saturday.”
Another
horse cutting back in distance will be Westrock Stable’s Northern Giant, for
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Northern Giant showed promise early
in his three-year-old year finishing second in the Lanes End (G2) and third in
the Risen Star (G3) prior to disappointing efforts in the Arkansas Derby (G1)
and Preakness (G1). The cutback to seven furlongs will be Northern
Giant’s first start under a mile since October of his two-year-old season.
The
west coast contingent will be represented by Working Capital, who looks to step
up off a recent optional claiming score at Hollywood Park
on May 27th. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Working Capital shows
only one prior start in stakes company, that resulting in a 2nd place
finish in the restricted Snow Chief Stakes, also at Hollywood.
While
the west coast contingent is represented, the Charles Town contingent is as
well. Baer’s Racing Stable’s Son of a Bear looks to translate the form
that’s made him successful in WV-bred stakes to open company. Trained by
Lee Couchenour, Son of a Bear made his mark as a two-year-old at Charles Town,
with his signature win coming in the juvenile division of last year’s West
Virginia Breeders’ Classics.
Kens Cape,
4th against Comedero in the Chick Lang, and Mylilsecret complete the
field.
$400,000
Red Legend
Race
10 – Post Time 10:30pm EST
3YO,
7 Furlongs
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1.
Working Capital, Travis Dunkelberger , 121, Doug F. O'Neill
2.
Mylilsecret, Oliver Castillo, 121, John J. Robb
3.
Son of a Bear, Jesus Sanchez, 118, Lee Couchenour
4.
Comedero, Robby Albarado, 124, Michael Stidham
5.
Northern Giant, Jamie Theriot, 115, D. Wayne Lukas
6.
Kens Cape, J.D. Acosta, 118, King T. Leatherbury
7.
Backtalk, Miguel Mena, 124, Thomas M. Amoss