Aqueduct: Kobe's Back returns to sprinting in Bay Shore Stakes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Kobe’s Back will get back to what he does best – sprinting – when he meets seven 3-year-olds in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct.
The Bay Shore is run at seven furlongs, a distance at which Kobe’s Back, a son of Flatter, won the Grade 2 San Vicente by 5 1/4 lengths on Feb. 16. As a 2-year-old, Kobe’s Back ran second to eventual 2-year-old champion Shared Belief in the seven-furlong Hollywood Prevue Stakes.
In two starts going two turns, Kobe’s Back was beaten by 27 3/4 lengths in the CashCall Futurity – a race in which he clipped heels – and seventh in the Grade 2 Rebel, when he was rank early.
“We know he’s very good at seven-eighths,” trainer John Sadler said.[bc_video_id:320319:]
He’s also very good from off the pace, and there appears to be plenty of early speed in the Bay Shore.
The Admiral, based in California with trainer Bob Baffert, figures to be part of the early-pace scenario. The Admiral comes off front-running victories sprinting and routing, but Baffert wants to keep the horse in races around one turn for now.
“He maybe could [go long], but I want to give him and my clients the best opportunity where we could win some stakes,” Baffert said. “His seven-eighths race was better.”
Corey Nakatani will ride Kobe’s Back from post 8.
Oliver Zip and Favorite Tale are among the horses who will likely be on or near the lead in the Bay Shore.
Oliver Zip is coming off a sharp front-running score in the Fred “Cappy” Capossela Stakes over the inner track March 8. This will be his first start beyond six furlongs.
“He was full of run his last race” said Kelly Breen, trainer of Oliver Zip. “[Jockey] Rajiv [Maragh] didn’t tell us he was getting tired. I’d have to think seven-eighths or longer is in his wheelhouse.”
Favorite Tale, a son of Tale of the Cat trained by Guadalpue Preciado, has won all three of his starts at Parx and makes his stakes debut in the Bay Shore. In his last start, an allowance race, he won by 14 lengths and earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.
Charleymillionaire, a troubled third in the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes here Jan. 20, came back to win a one-mile allowance race at Parx. He is cutting back to a sprint distance at which he is probably most effective.
Financial Mogul turns back to one turn for the first time since last Nov. 3, when he was second in the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes. He finished sixth in the Holy Bull Stakes and fourth in the Gotham Stakes, both two-turn races.
“We’ll find out if he’s a come-from-behind sprinter,” said Rick Violette, trainer of Financial Mogul. “If he doesn’t do that well, we’ll try the grass.”
Coup de Grace, 2 for 2 around one turn before running 10th in the Holy Bull Stakes, and Loki’s Vengeance, second in the Fred Capossela Stakes, complete the field.