New Farm’s New Jersey homebred colt
The Hunk looked good winning an
allowance race at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 10 while going wire-to-wire at
six furlongs. It’s a performance that sends him to his stakes debut on a
four-race win streak in Saturday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3).
Jockey Elvis Trujillo gets a return call on The Hunk for trainer Ben
Perkins, Jr. as the 4-year-old son of Eclipse champion sprinter
Speightstown takes the big step up in company from three allowance wins
at Monmouth Park and the Gulfstream score last out when he was timed in
1:09 flat.
“He’s improved and learned to relax more than when he was there
(Gulfstream) last winter and ran in the two allowance races (fourth and
fifth),” said Perkins Wednesday morning from New Jersey. “He’s always
had tremendous speed, but he was very rank last winter and in his races
at Monmouth early this summer. We’d love to have him win a graded stakes
that could make him a stud prospect.”
The Hunk is a half-brother to New Farm’s Wildcat Heir, by Forest
Wildcat, winner of the 2004 Frank De Francis Memorial (G1) at Pimlico
for New Farm and Perkins during a career when he won six of 12 starts
with four seconds, and has been a successful stallion standing in
Florida since then.
The Hunk faces six rivals in the six furlong Mr. Prospector with
Rosemary and David Zell’s 5-year-old gelding
Capt. Candyman Can certain
to attract strong support with two stakes victories in three starts over
the Gulfstream track. Jockey Calvin Borel will be aboard the son of
Candy Ride for trainer Ian Wilkes as he makes his first appearance since
finishing third in the Aristides Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs on June
4.
Capt. Candyman Can won the Iroquois Stakes (G3) and finished third in
the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill as a 2-year-old and won the
Hutcheson Stakes (G2) here in his 3-year-old debut in 2009. He missed
the entire 2010 but was back racing here last winter to score in the Sir
Shackleton Handicap in early April. His biggest victory came in the
King’s Bishop Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on a disqualification.
Trainer David Fawkes sent out 2010 Eclipse champion sprinter Big Drama
to win the Mr. Prospector by four lengths in mid-January when he ran six
furlongs in 1:08 flat, and has a top contender for Saturday’s renewal
with Donald Dizney’s 4-year-old Florida homebred
Apriority, who set a
track record here for 6 ½ furlongs in early March winning an allowance
race by 4 ½ lengths.
Jockey Luis Saez gets the call on Apriority as he makes his first start
since a disappointing sixth-place finish behind Amazombie in the
Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Churchill on Nov. 5. The son of Grand Slam
lost two tough decisions after his Gulfstream victory when second to
Morning Line in the Carter Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct in April and second
by a nose in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G2) in May.
Another contender in this talented field will be Stud El Aguila’s
Indiano with leading jockey Javier Castellano aboard for trainer Marty
Wolfson, who won the 2009 edition with Ikigai. A Kentucky-bred by Indian
Charlie, Indiano won the first five starts of his career in Panama
before coming to Wolfson last winter.
Indiano made his first two North American starts here early this year,
finishing second in an allowance race to Escort and second to Travelin
Man in the Swale Stakes (G2). After reeling off three straight tallies
at Calder over the summer, including the $200,000 Carry Back Stakes
(G2), he finished third last out in the $250,000 Gallant Bob Stakes at
Parx on Sept. 24.
Completing the field for the Mr. Prospector are Klaravich Stables and
William H. Lawrence’s
Zero Rate Policy, Paco Lopez; Robert Abbo Racing
Stable’s
Immortal Eyes, Jose Lezcano and Thomas Carey’s
Nathan’s H Q,
Joe Rocco, Jr. – all three of these with a chance as well.
Zero Rate Policy won the Sunshine State Stakes on Dec. 4 for trainer
Terri Pompay, although against a lesser field. Immortal Eyes has five
wins and three seconds in his last eight starts for trainer Jimmy Toner.
Nathan’s H Q just missed when second by a half-length in the Fall
Highweight (G3) last out at Aqueduct on Nov. 24 for trainer Clyde
Martin.