Matt King Coal may have tactical edge in Suburban
ELMONT, N.Y. – Seymourdini forged a blitzkrieg on the front end in winning Monday’s State Dinner Stakes by 10 1/2 lengths. His trainer, Linda Rice, likely will try the same tactics with Matt King Coal in Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Suburban Stakes at Belmont Park.
Matt King Coal looms the lone speed on paper in a six-horse field entered Tuesday for the Suburban at 1 1/4 miles.
“That’s what I want to be,” Rice said. “He’s really coming to hand. That’s a huge step up in competition to go against a Shaman Ghost, but I’d rather do it at a mile and a quarter.”
Matt King Coal, a son of Cool Coal Man, is coming off a 3 3/4-length front-running victory in the Mountainview Stakes at Penn National. Matt King Coal drew post 2 and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.
Shaman Ghost, the winner of the Santa Anita Handicap and Pimlico Special in his last two starts, drew post 6.
Keen Ice, the 2015 Travers winner, drew the rail. Sunny Ridge (post 3), Watershed (post 4), and Follow Me Crev (post 5) complete the field.
Meanwhile, Rice said she is not sure what will be next with Seymourdini, who earned a 113 Beyer Speed Figure for his State Dinner victory. The long-term goal is the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Dec. 2.
:: Get bonus PPs for Los Alamitos Race Course with purchase of any same-day PPs, July 7 - July 16