Aquaphobia staying in the marathon ranks, with Sword Dancer next up

Aquaphobia, the one-length winner of last Saturday’s Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park, will be pointed to the Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer on Aug. 29 at Saratoga, trainer Mike Maker said.

Aquaphobia, claimed for $62,500 in January, earned a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure for the United Nations victory, which came in his first start going 1 3/8 miles. The Sword Dancer is run at 1 1/2 miles.

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“With all the COVID stuff going on we didn’t have a chance to stretch him out right away,” Maker said. “We felt he’s kept some solid company and ran some good races, just felt like there was a lot more there than we had gotten out of him in those races.”

Maker said he shipped Aquaphobia back to Kentucky from Monmouth “to keep him with the people that have been working with him.”

Aquaphobia gave Maker his sixth graded turf stakes victory in 2020. Zulu Alpha, who has won three graded stakes this year, including the Grade 3 Elkhorn on July 12 at Keeneland, is pointing to the $1 million Kentucky Turf Cup on Sept. 12 at Kentucky Downs. Field Pass, who won the Grade 3 Transylvania on that same July 12 card, will be aimed at the Saratoga Derby on Aug. 15.

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Maker, who won Wednesday’s $85,000 Lubash Stakes for New York-breds at Saratoga with Cross Border, is expected to run Somelikeithotbrown here in Sunday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap.

Bemma’s Boy, winner of the Grade 2 Pan American in March at Gulfstream, is expected to start back training next week following a three-month freshening.