The
final stakes for Belmont
Park’s spring/summer meet
is next Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Jaipur Breeders’ Cup on the Widener Turf,
with seven probables eyeing the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up.
Escrow
Kid, recent winner of a stakes at Monmouth Park; Formidable, fourth
in the Grade 2 True North on Belmont Stakes Day; Perfect Officer, fourth
in a stakes in New Jersey on June 5; Stradivinsky, winner of three
straight claiming races out of state; True to Tradition, winner of a
starter handicap at Philadelphia Park on June 22, and Yield Bogey, who
won an optional claimer at Belmont on June 25, and Our Friend Harvey,
third in that race, are likely for the Jaipur, according to Andrew Byrnes,
stakes coordinator for The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA).
Stradivinsky
will be making his first start for trainer Rick Dutrow and owner Michael Dubb
after being claimed for $50,000 at Churchill Downs on May 27. The 7-year-old
son of Stravinsky is 12-2-5 from 31 lifetime starts, and has won three of his
four starts this year.
“His
numbers were good,” said Dutrow of the decision to claim the bay gelding. “He’s
ready to run. This is a big race for him – if he wins, the owners will get
twice their money back.”
In
his only start at Belmont,
Stradivinsky finished seventh in a maiden race in 2005 for then-trainer Bill
Mott and owner Live Oak Plantation.
Dutrow
remains enthusiastic about 2-year-old sensation Boys At Tosconova, who
uncorked a preliminary 103 Beyer Speed Figure in winning a maiden race at Belmont on July 3.
“We’re
looking at the seven-eighths race at the end of the meet at Saratoga for him,” said Dutrow, referring to
the Grade 1, $250,000 Three Chimneys Hopeful. “I like the spacing for it – he’s
got plenty of time to get over his last race and plenty of time to prepare for
the next race.
“I’m
in no hurry with him,” added Dutrow, who trains the Officer colt for Mace and
Samantha Siegel’s Jay Em Ess Stable. “I think he’s got a chance to be a good
one, and next year’s races are more important than this year’s races. We’re
excited about him.”
Hall
of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, who opened the spring/summer meet with a stakes
victory, taking the Grade 3 Westchester with Le Grand Cru, is hoping to close
it out with another one as he points Robert N. Clay’s Formidable to the
Jaipur.
A
5-year-old son of Sky Mesa, Formidable won three straight to kick off 2010
before finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Churchill Downs Sprint on Kentucky Oaks
Day, beaten just a length, and then coming in fourth behind Bribon in the True
North after pressing the pace.
“He’s
been so consistent,” said Jerkens’ assistant, Fernando Abreu. “He had a good
work the other day [46.88 on July 2] and he’ll go again Sunday in preparation
for the race.”
Formidable
is 5-1-4 from 17 lifetime starts for earnings of $202,286.