Some lightly raced
3-year-olds will be tested on the turf in Saturday’s $70,000 Lamplighter
Stakes, which goes as the 10th race on the card.
Topping the field is Crimson
China, owned and trained by the Kentucky Derby-winning Team Valor International
and Graham Motion.
The colt by Giant’s
Causeway raced in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) last out because
stablemate Animal Kingdom had won the Spiral Stakes to earn his way into the
Kentucky Derby. Crimson China
was fifth that day on Polytrack, but won his only lifetime grass start at
Gulfstream in February.
Crimson China will ship in from Motion’s Fair Hill, Md.,
headquarters for the Lamplighter with regular rider Alan Garcia named aboard.
Trainer Chad Brown will send
in Beachcombing from his Saratoga
base. The colt by Lemon Drop Kid will be back on the turf for the first time
since he was second behind Data Link at Gulfstream in January. In his last two
starts, Beachcombing finished fourth behind Animal Kingdom in the Spiral
Stakes, and second in an allowance on the Keeneland Polytrack. Paco Lopez is
named to ride.
Cam Gambolati will send out
the Monmouth-based Le Bon Ton Roule, a speedster who will be seeking his first
turf win in the mile and a sixteenth Lamplighter.
“It’s a tough field,”
Gambolati said, “but he’ll run decent.
“He’ll go to the lead, that’s
for sure,” Gambolati said. “If he gets away with a slow pace, who knows what
can happen.”
Mike Luzzi, second to Joe
Bravo in the jockey standings, has the mount Saturday.