After wearing blinkers in his
four most recent starts, Stuart Grant’s J W Blue will race with blinkers off in
Saturday’s Travers as trainer Tony Dutrow tries to help the colt live up to his
potential.
J W Blue first wore blinkers in
the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in April at Oaklawn, finishing an even sixth. After
reporting home third in the Federico Tesio at Pimlico in May, the son of Sky
Mesa was second in two starts at
Delaware
Park , missing by a head in the Floor Show
in June and falling short by a neck of the Barbaro in July.
“I’m not seeing the blinkers help
him,” said Dutrow. “I’ve always thought, and I’m still thinking, that J W Blue
is capable of more than we have seen. I tried blinkers to see if that would
bring out the best in him. I don’t feel blinkers accomplished that. In his last
two races, he made the lead, pulled himself up [and] got beat. I just don’t see
the need for the blinkers. I think he’s better off without the blinkers than
with them.”
Dutrow is eager to test Jealous Girl, winner of four straight,
against graded competition in Saturday’s Grade 3 Victory Ride for 3-year-old
filly sprinters. After easily clearing the maiden claiming, starter allowance,
and allowance ranks, she drew off to take Penn National’s Femme Fatale by five
lengths on July 29.
“I think Jealous Girl, arguably,
has as much talent as anything in the race,” said Dutrow, who conditions Jealous
Girl for Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and Stuart Grant. “She has to prove
she has quality to go along with that talent, and she hasn’t had that
opportunity yet.”
Jealous Girl, who drew post 2 for
the Victory Ride, has set all the fractions in her four triumphs, but Dutrow
isn’t sure whether she needs the lead.
“She has been superior to her
foes so far, so I don’t know if she will sit off the pace somewhat or if she’s
simply faster than these,” said Dutrow. “[Jockey] Jeremy [Rose] is down on the
inside, the gates will open, and he’ll see how the race [goes]. We don’t have a
game plan. Our game plan is the gates will open, and we’ll see how the race
develops, and where we’re at and how she does.”