Aqueduct: Emcee headed to Tom Fool; Redding Colliery considered for Big Cap
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - After switching gears with It's Tricky and sending the filly to start her 2012 campaign in the Top Flight at Aqueduct rather than the Sabin Stakes at Gulfstream Park, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has also changed plans with a couple of other runners for stakes races to be run on March 3.
McLaughlin said Monday that Emcee will ship up to New York for the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool while Evening Attire Stakes winner Redding Colliery is "likely" headed to California for the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap.
McLaughlin had been considering Crossbow for the Tom Fool, but found a better spot for him in a third-level allowance race here on Thursday. Emcee, who like Crossbow races for Darley Stable, is coming off a first-level allowance win at Gulfstream on Feb. 3 in which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 107.
"We're a flexible team," McLaughlin said. "We decided that let's go to New York with Emcee and if they're going to try and use these better races in New York let's go there with Crossbow. We can always catch another stakes with him later. Emcee is a serious colt."
Also expected for the Tom Fool are Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Caleb's Posse and defending Tom Fool winner Calibrachoa.
Meanwhile, McLaughlin said that Redding Colliery is under serious consideration for the Santa Anita Handicap with the Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior here on March 17 as a backup.
McLaughlin said one reason for considering the Big Cap is to try and get into one of two races in Dubai, where owners Dr. James and Fitriani Hay are based.
"The Hays would love him to come to Dubai for either the Godolphin Mile or the World Cup," McLaughlin said. "We're not rated high enough by their International Rating System. The only way we could do it is to run in the Big Cap and get our rating up, and then we'd be eligible to run back in four weeks out there in Dubai."
Though it could be an expensive trip to fly Redding Colliery from New York to California, McLaughlin said it is "likely" he would run in the Big Cap.