Aqueduct notes: Canani weighs Donn for Called to Serve

Adam Coglianese/NYRA

Called to Serve may make his next start at Gulfstream or Santa Anita.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Though trainer Nick Canani sounded like he’s leaning toward running Called to Serve in the Grade 1, $500,000 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 9, he cautioned no firm decision has been made.

Canani said he and owner Marc Ferrell are still considering the Grade 2, $200,000 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 2 or possibly just training up to the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap on March 2.

Called to Serve is coming off a 5 3/4-length victory in the Broad Brush Stakes at Laurel on Dec. 31, which came six weeks after his 4 3/4-length score in the Grade 3 Discovery at Aqueduct. Called to Serve earned a 106 Beyer Figure for his Broad Brush win and recently had his Beyer adjusted from a 98 to a 104 for the Discovery.

“He came out of the race great. Where we go from here he’s going to tell us,” Canani said. “Obviously we’d love to run in the Donn. We’re going to nominate and see what that race is turning up like. I’m not 100 percent saying that that’s where we’re going to run.”

Two of the primary contenders in the Donn figure to be Take Charge Indy, last year’s Florida Derby winner, and Flat Out, the two-time Jockey Club Gold Cup winner.

The Strub is restricted to 4-year-olds and doesn’t figure to come up overly tough with the recent news that Nonios will be sidelined indefinitely.

Jacobson likely going with Ea in Coyote Lake

Trainer David Jacobson entered three horses in Saturday’s $75,000 Coyote Lakes Stakes, but he is likely to just go with just Ea and scratch his other two entrants, Punster and Our Entourage.

The Coyote Lakes is run at 1 1/2 miles, and Ea is coming off a second-place finish to Wayward Sailor in an optional claimer at 1 1/2 miles on Dec. 14.

“The only thing that got him beat was he was a little short going a mile and a half off the layoff,” said Jacobson, noting that Ea hadn’t run for nearly eight weeks.

On Saturday, Ea is coupled with Punster, who ran fifth in a race here on Wednesday. Jacobson said he is likely to scratch him.

Jacobson said he is also likely to scratch Our Entourage, who is coming off an eight-week layoff, but who he thinks is a dirt horse who can run that far.

Wayward Sailor, who defeated Ea in that Dec. 14 race, is back in this spot, as is Rocky World, who finished third, 17 3/4 lengths behind Ea that day.

Guyana Star Dweej and Charlie’s Quest, who ran fourth here on Wednesday, are also in this field.

** Pleasantfriday became the fourth racing-related fatality at this meet when the 5-year-old mare fractured both sesamoids during the running of Thursday’s fifth race and was euthanized.