9-year-olds Eastern Bay, Drafted figure to come running in Tom Fool Stakes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While most of the focus Saturday at Aqueduct will be on 3-year-olds, there are a pair of 9-year-olds who could wind up deciding the Grade 3, $150,000 Tom Fool Stakes.
Eastern Bay, coming off a victory in the Grade 3 General George at Laurel two weeks ago, and Drafted, who has won four stakes over the last 13 months, could get the pace scenario that makes them most effective in the six-furlong Tom Fool. Both horses are closers, and with Chateau and Pirate Rick in the field, the Tom Fool pace figures to be strong.
Pirate Rick and Eastern Bay both are owned and trained by Lynn Cash. Pirate Rick was on the lead in the General George and faded to sixth. Eastern Bay sat a perfect third before drawing off to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Eastern Bay and Pirate Rick are not coupled in the wagering.
“I think I’ve got a legitimate shot with Pirate Rick in it because we’re going to be on or about the lead,” Cash said. “Then if we do soften up, whoever’s with us will soften up, too. I got Eastern Bay.”
Pirate Rick also should appreciate cutting back from the seven furlongs of the General George to six furlongs, a distance at which he won two allowance races here in December and January.
Prior to his General George win, Eastern Bay finished second in the Grade 2 Vosburgh here to Elite Power, the subsequent Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Riyadh Dirt Sprint winner. Then he was second, beaten a nose by Runninsonofagun, in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler here. Eastern Bay was in front in deep stretch only to get nosed out at the wire.
Runninsonofagun makes his first start at 4 in the Tom Fool. Following his victory in the Bold Ruler, Runninsonofagun was beaten a neck by Greeley and Ben in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight on Nov. 26. This is his first start in more than three months, though he does have a solid work tab for his return for trainer John Toscano Jr.
Chateau won the Tom Fool in 2021 before finishing second in it last year. He is 0 for 5 since winning the Gravesend here in December and was recently claimed for $62,500 by David Jacobson.
Drafted finished fifth in the Bold Ruler, beaten only 1 1/4 lengths by Runninsonofagun and Eastern Bay. He came back to win the Gravesend before finishing third behind Repo Rocks in the Grade 3 Toboggan. Repo Rocks, who earned a 111 Beyer Speed Figure for the Toboggan, came back to win last week’s Stymie.
Drafted is cutting back from seven furlongs to six furlongs, a distance at which he’s recorded seven of his 10 victories.
“Our horse is bursting at the seams,” trainer David Duggan said. “I can’t say anything more than that. For a 9-year-old, I couldn’t be asking for him to be doing any better.”
Nakatomi, trained by Wesley Ward, makes his 4-year-old debut after ending his 3-year-old campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita.
Little Vic finished second to Repo Rocks and 1 1/4 lengths in front of Drafted in the Toboggan.
Longshot Wendell Fong completes the field.
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