Back on grass, Giocoso goes for Breeders' Cup berth in Bourbon

Giocoso turned in a commendable performance Sept. 14 in the Iroquois Stakes, a one-turn dirt mile at Churchill Downs, middle-moving into contention before losing steam and checking in third of 11. A strapping brute of a colt, Giocoso seems better suited racing around two turns than one. He might eventually find himself sniffing around the Kentucky Derby trail. For this fall, though, Giocoso campaigns as a grass horse.

With two strong showings over the Ellis Park turf course this summer, Giocoso returns to grass following the Iroquois as part of an overflow field entered in the Grade 2, $350,000 Bourbon Stakes on Sunday at Keeneland.

“I keep reviewing in my mind the dominance and smoothness and finish he had on turf,” said Keith Desormeaux, who trains Giocoso for the Rocker O Ranch. “He ran a good race in the Iroquois but not with the same dominance. I just felt the short-term goal is the Breeders’ Cup. What’s our best chance to win a Breeders’ Cup race? Seemed like it would be turf.”

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The 1 1/16-mile Bourbon is, in fact, part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, linked to the $1 million Juvenile Turf, and connections of the first few home will have designs on a trip to Del Mar.

Giocoso is by Not This Time, becoming a major turf influence, and out of the Fastnet Rock mare Nutcracker Suite – a grass pedigree top and bottom. He got a look on dirt while sprinting in his career debut, then looked like the best horse while finishing an onrushing second in a turf mile July 7 at Ellis. Back on grass there a month later, Giocoso turned in a no-doubter. He showed good tactical pace, cruised easily to the lead, and won by six lengths under regular jockey James Graham.

“James totally thinks he’s a grass horse. He’s got that high knee action to him,” Desormeaux said.

Giocoso looks physically developed for his age. So does Warlander, listed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite while making his stakes debut in his third start. Warlander, a workout partner to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf-bound Tiztastic, finished third of 10 in a strong Saratoga maiden turf route before a one-length win over 11 rivals in a Kentucky Downs maiden mile. Trainer Steve Asmussen penciled the Kitten’s Joy colt into the Bourbon shortly thereafter, and Warlander has turned in two Ellis Park workouts for this step up in class.

Barricade finished fifth, beaten two lengths, in the same Saratoga maiden turf route as Warlander. The official chart states that Barricade offered a “mild kick” in the race, but a final 2 1/2 furlongs in 27.16 qualifies as something stauncher than mild. Barricade came right back to win an Aqueduct turf maiden, and when trainer Todd Pletcher entered Tenacious Leader, who nearly won the With Anticipation on the Saratoga grass, in the Breeders’ Futurity, it opened the door for Barricade into the Bourbon.

“To me, he’s coming out of better maiden races than the figures indicate,” Pletcher said.

Clock Tower got away on an easy pace making his turf debut in a Kentucky Downs maiden mile and made the most of it, rolling to a 6 1/2-length victory. The lead will prove harder to come by in the Bourbon, but Clock Tower, who trains at Keeneland with Wesley Ward and has worked several times over the local course, might not need it.

Still, Giocoso, visually and on speed figures, has run as well as any Bourbon entrant – on turf, at least, where he stays for the time being.

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