Absolutely Cool back in form for Coyote

PHOENIX – Absolutely Cool tries to prove that his resurgence to win a second straight Phoenix Gold Cup wasn’t an aberration in Saturday’s $35,000 Coyote Handicap at Turf Paradise. Later on the card, Small Moves heads the $35,000 Mesa Handicap for fillies and mares.

Both races are at 6 1/2 furlongs. The Coyote a drew a field of six, and the Mesa lured seven.

Absolutely Cool, an 8-year-old owned by Karl Krieg and trained by Valorie Lund, won the meet’s marquee event, the Phoenix Gold Cup, in 2014, but he got beat in six subsequent starts. When he lined up to defend his Gold Cup crown here Feb. 14, he found his strong late run to get up for the 13-1 upset.

The horse to beat in the Coyote might be Broadway Empire. This is his first start since he ran sixth in the Damascus at Santa Anita on Oct. 31. He races for Randy Howq, Bob Butz, Rick Running Rabbit, and Fouad El Kardy and is trained by Robertino Diodoro.

COYOTE (RACE 3)

KEY CONTENDERS

ABSOLUTELY COOL (Last 3 Beyers: 94-78-73)

◗ Six of his eight wins have come here.

◗ He signaled that he holds his edge after that Gold Cup win by posting two bullet works (five furlongs in 58.40 seconds March 17, four furlongs in 45.60 on March 10).

◗ He dueled for the lead and faded to sixth in this race last year after winning the Gold Cup, though being so forwardly placed is not his preferred style.

BROADWAY EMPIRE (Last 3 Beyers: 82-85-99)

◗ He has worked strongly, including six furlongs in 1:11.20 on March 17, five furlongs in 57.20 on March 8, and five furlongs in 57.60 on Feb. 27.

◗ Last year at 3, he won a pair of Grade 3 races, ran fourth in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap on the Kentucky Derby undercard, and ran sixth in the Grade 1 Met Mile.

J P ROCKER (Last 3 Beyers: 80-88-59)

◗ After a pair of dull outings in December, he posted two big wins here in February.

◗ He has the speed to be forwardly placed from the start, though he’s by no means a need-the-lead type.

Mesa: Small Moves looking sharp

Small Moves comes into the Mesa off two dominant wins over lesser here, romping by 7 1/4 lengths over $8,000 claimers and then waltzing home to win by 8 1/2 lengths over optional claimers March 7. She races for Charles Garvey and is trained by Diodoro.

Her main opposition should come from Lady Rosberg, who moves to dirt and sprinting after winning the Sun City and Queen of the Green, both turf routes, this meet.

MESA (RACE 6)

KEY CONTENDERS

SMALL MOVES (Last 3 Beyers: 89-80-71)

◗ She has blossomed since adding blinkers three starts ago, including two seconds before her two recent wins.

◗ She has considerable speed but doesn’t require the early lead to be a factor.

◗ She was claimed for $10,000 by Diodoro here Jan. 3, and it looks like he bought at the right time.

LADY ROSBERG (Last 3 Beyers: 80-83-75)

◗ She comes here sharp, having won three of her last five. While two of those wins came routing on turf, the other came in a dirt sprint here.

◗ She worked five furlongs in 58.80 here March 14.