Aqueduct: Samraat tests speed around two turns in Damon Runyon

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – As impressive as Samraat has been sprinting, trainer Rick Violette believes his 2-year-old New York-bred colt should be even better when he gets the chance to stretch out in distance.

That opportunity comes Wednesday when Samraat meets five fellow statebred 2-year-olds in the $100,000 Damon Runyon Stakes going a mile and 70 yards around two turns over Aqueduct’s inner track. The Damon Runyon originally was scheduled to be run Sunday, but there were not enough entries for the race to be carded, which worked out okay when Sunday’s card was canceled because of weather. When entries were retaken on Friday, the Damon Runyon filled with six, including Deceived and Geaux Mets, horses that are coming back on relatively short rest.

Samraat, a son of Noble Causeway – who recorded all three of his wins at 1 1/8 miles – won his first two starts in front-running fashion. On Oct. 23 at Belmont Park, he won a six-furlong maiden race by 3 1/2 lengths. On Nov. 22, over Aqueduct’s main track, Samraat won a 7 1/2-furlong allowance by 5 1/2 lengths. He earned a 78 Beyer Speed Figure in each performance.

Samraat figures to use his early speed again breaking from the rail under Jose Ortiz, who won a career-high four races on one card here on Saturday.

Violette believes two turns should be a “strong suit” for Samraat.

“I think everything will slow down, the pace will slow down, he’ll get into an easier rhythm, I would think,” said Violette, who trains Samraat for Len Riggio’s My Meadowview Farm. “He’s obviously very fast, but he can be reserved fast as the pace kind of slows down around two turns.”

Speaking specifically of Samraat’s allowance win, Violette said, “When he changed leads and leveled off, he looked awesome doing that inside the eighth pole to the wire. First time two turns we’ll see how he handles it. I think it should be an asset.”

Two turns should also be an asset for Deceived, a son of Broken Vow who won a one-turn mile maiden race by 7 1/2 lengths on Dec. 7. The three-day delay of the Damon Runyon was the primary reason trainer Leah Gyarmati entered him. Gyarmati won this race last year with Smooth Bert.

“The few extra days and the fact it’s a small field kind of affected my decision, so I went ahead and entered him,” Gyarmati said. “It could set up decent for him, with a little bit of speed. With his running style, he’ll run all day.”

With Irad Ortiz serving a three-day suspension, Cornelio Velasquez picks up the mount.

Geaux Mets is 2 for 2 sprinting since being transferred to David Jacobson. If he starts, he would be running back in less than a week and stretching out from six furlongs.

Balderdash, a maiden winner at Belmont, and Forever Utopia, winless in four starts, have never started on dirt. Howaboutwe finished fourth behind Samraat in the Nov. 22 allowance race.