Bakken kicks off 4-year-old campaign with True North Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Bakken displayed brilliance in winning the first two starts of his career last fall in New York before finding Grade 1 company a little too much too soon in last December’s Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita.

On Friday, Bakken kicks off what could be an interesting 4-year-old campaign when he runs in the Grade 2, $250,000 True North Stakes going six furlongs at Belmont Park. The True North is one of two stakes run on Friday’s 10-race card, along with the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational, a two-mile turf race. The True North is the first-leg of a two-day daily double wager that links to Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap.

A field of nine was entered for the True North, but not all are expected to run. Trainer Linda Rice re-entered the speedy Marriedtothemusic in Saturday’s Grade 3 Jaipur Stakes, and she also indicated that her other entrant, Palace, last year’s Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap winner, could scratch to await another spot. Trainer David Jacobson entered both Salutos Amigos and Royal Currier but wasn’t definite to run the latter.

Eastwood entered back for a Saturday allowance race, but trainer Todd Pletcher said the horse would run Friday.

Chad Brown, the trainer of Bakken, said his horse “got real tired” out of the Malibu, and he was given a winter freshening. Without any major targets to point for at Gulfstream, Brown was planning to bring him back during the Belmont meet. Initially, he was not thinking about the True North.

“I didn’t think I’d be bringing him back in a Grade 2. I figured I’d enter and look,” Brown said. “He seems to be on his toes and training great. I looked over the field. It’s a competitive race. I think Bakken fits in, so I’m going to run.”

Brown also sends out Integrity, who has won three consecutive races since finishing 12th in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop last August. Integrity may try to come from off the pace, a tactic that worked in winning a second-level allowance race last Belmont Stakes Day.

Dads Caps comes off a 10-1 upset victory April 5 in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap going seven furlongs at Aqueduct. His connections chose to cut back to six furlongs in this spot rather than stretch out to a mile in Saturday’s Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap.

“I don’t think he would get a mile right now,” trainer Rudy Rodriguez said. “This is a good spot.”

Though Dads Caps has been in front in most of his races, Rodriguez believes the horse could sit off another horse if need be, as he did wining a second-level allowance race last fall at Aqueduct.

Rodriguez said in the morning, “I tried to get him to take dirt, but when he breaks so good, you don’t want to take him back.”

Joel Rosario rides Dads Caps from post 3.

After winning once from his first 14 starts, Salutos Amigos has gone 3 for 3 since David Jacobson purchased him privately from Michael Moreno’s Southern Equine Stable. Moreno recently bought back half-interest in the 5-year-old gelding.

“He seemed to have foot problems that we corrected when we got him,” Jacobson said. “That, combined with a change of scenery, [and] he’s gotten really good. He’ll definitely have pace to run into.”

Should he run, Palace would be an off-the-pace threat. Rice indicated she felt the horse might benefit from having more time. He is the 124-pound highweight.