Oh where, oh where has my Wood gone…the race, I mean?
Just doesn’t seem to me like the race it once was. An eight horse field, I’ll watch with interest, but if my pedicure is still in progress at post time, I won’t ask the pedicurist to stop the job while watching. Not that the entrants aren’t worthy versus the entire three-year crop, but Millenials, like Mo Town, Bonus Points and Stretch’s Stone will not strike fear in the hearts of past winners, like Bold Forbes, Seattle Slew, Unbridled’s Song and Fusiachi Pegasus.
Talk O’ the Town centers on Battalion Runner, Pletcher’s hope, who has been poked, prodded and placed like a lab rat in recent months. I assume BR will make it to the track today. Irish War Cry and Cloud Computing might have a thing or two to say about the outcome, as well.
#1 Glenrichment…..Rudy Rodriguez, who, often, has his fine moments, enters the son of Pioneer of the Nile (American Pharaoh) for his stakes debut after a career of 4/1-1-0. I can’t blame Rudy for trying in this field where anything might go as the colt has been very sharp in his last two races here. At 15-1 ML, it’s worth taking a look-see. Crafty veteran Carmouche pilots.
#2 Mo Town….Threw a real clunker in the Risen Star. By the half-mile pole, he turned to Johnny V and asked, “Are we there yet?” Tony Dutrow rides Castellano today, but if the colt shows the same interest he did in New Orleans, then it’s “No soup for you.” At 6-1 ML, his believers might bite hard. Factoid: Dutrow, without Mo Town, is 2 wins in 68 tries at NYRA tracks in the past year.
#3 Battalion Runner….Like the proctologist who checks a prostate, a lot of us are asking, “Let’s see what we got here?” A lot of hype for this Unbridled’s Song colt, and rightfully so. He’s looked great on the track and his daddy is a past winner of this race. Todd’s hotter than Russell Westbrook right now and we might find out today if the boy is the best of the Pletch bests. At 2-1, I am guessing the $700 Keeneland seller will be shorter. Johnny V, of course. Let’s hope his backers don’t need to visit the proctologist after his performance today. The clear favorite?
#4 Bonus Points…..Another Pletcher, a Maryland-bred. One might ask, “Is Todd doing the owners a favor by putting the horse in this?” Actually, no, me-thinks. Despite the two month layoff, the work for this is better than average. He is 7/1-2-2, but hasn’t had much racing luck in his last two, both at the Big A, the Jerome and the Withers. Luis Saez rides at 20-1 ML.
#5 True Timber….At 12-1 ML, he offers some value for McLaughlin, coming off a sour Gotham when he decided to nap in the stretch after a nice initial run. Put that in the past, as he has a chance for some in this, his fourth consecutive stakes race. Hot jock Paco Lopez (33% in 21 races here) handles the chores. I have a bit of concern for the distance, but if Paco gets him out, there could be a front-door burglary today.
#6 Stretch’s Stone….Bruce Levine’s entrant at 15-1 has shown some very nice speed in his last two, a second (by a head) and an 8+ L win. His stakes debut, the NY-bred son of Bustin’ Stones is blowing it up in the morning coming in. Manny Franco drives the bus.
#7 Cloud Computing….A good one, who might be a bit under the radar right now, despite being 2/1-1-0 with an electric trainer in Chad Brown. CC had a very good Gotham finishing second to J Boys Echo (in today’s Blue Grass) in a race that the winner was boffo. He faded a bit at the end in that one, but by that time, the outcome wasn’t in doubt. An ML of 5-2, Manny Franco, his only handler to date, returns. I think he has an excellent chance for the upset as his rivals will need a solid effort. Irad rides. Factoid: Chad is 4 of 10 wins with 3-year olds on dirt stakes routes, off layoffs. A must consider.
#8 Irish War Cry….Seems like an ion ago that the Curlin colt smashed the field in the Holy Bull only to go comatose in the Fountain of Youth tiring and losing by 21 L. Trainer Graham Motion steadies him in for this with a horse having the highest speed figures of them all. He’s 4/3-0-0 and, if you don’t choose to toss his FOY, you might pay the price. A prime player today for win or a King’s sum. I love the switch to Maragh, who’s handled it well at the A.
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