Big day for Stall-trained 3-year-olds
NEW ORLEANS – Trainer Al Stall has managed to come up with promising 3-year-olds for three levels of dirt-route racing here Saturday.
Trafalgar, winner of two straight, makes his stakes debut in the Lecomte, while Underhill’s Tab runs in a first-level allowance race and Peaceful Waters tries for the third time to clear the maiden ranks.
Trafalgar, a troubled second on debut at Saratoga behind the very talented Classic Causeway, rallied into a fast pace for a second-start maiden win going a one-turn mile at Churchill last fall. Stall has aimed the colt toward the Lecomte since Trafalgar showed fight winning a first-level allowance going two turns on dirt Dec. 2.
“He hasn’t missed a beat since then,” Stall said of Trafalgar, from sire Lord Nelson’s first crop. “We’ve worked him in company some, let him take dirt, and he’s liked it.”
Underhill’s Tab was a smart debut sprint winner Nov. 26 at Fair Grounds and turned in a good loss finishing a closing second behind the Steve Asmussen-trained Chattalot in the six-furlong Sugar Bowl here Dec. 27. Stall isn’t certain that Underhill’s Tab, from the first crop of Unified, will stay two turns, but Saturday’s allowance race ought to provide useful information.
“Now’s the time to try it,” Stall said. “He relaxes, and he’s a really smart horse.”
Stall has hinted that Peaceful Waters trains as well as any of his youngsters. He held a clear lead in his first two races, a Churchill maiden over seven furlongs and a Fair Grounds maiden at six furlongs, before being run down, and Saturday he’ll get his first chance to race over a route of ground.