Big Destroyer in My Frenchman to avoid stable conflict
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In another world, Big Destroyer might soon be making his stakes debut at Saratoga after a commanding maiden victory in New York last month. Trainer Miguel Clement wants to avoid an early bout within his stable, however, so the second-time starter will instead ship to Monmouth Park for Saturday’s $100,000 My Frenchman, a 5 1/2-furlong turf stakes.
“He surely demonstrates a lot of speed,” Clement said. “We had a few [setbacks], which prevented us bringing him to the races earlier in his career. Nevertheless, he’s quick. There’s no doubt about that.”
The 3-year-old gelding made his first start at Aqueduct on June 12, flashing impressive tactical speed and pulling clear to win a maiden special weight by 1 1/2 lengths. He earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure for the victory.
Clement said he would not have hesitated to enter Big Destroyer in the Grade 3 Quick Call on July 19 at Saratoga, but he was already considering that race for Intricate Spirit, the last-out winner of the $150,000 Paradise Creek at Aqueduct. If both 3-year-olds carry on as planned, they could meet in the Grade 3 Mahony at Saratoga in August, along with Grunge, who is entered in a first-level allowance against older rivals on Saturday at Saratoga.
“You have Intricate Spirit here [for the Quick Call],” Clement said from Saratoga. “I want Grunge in the [first-level allowance], which is tough, and I want Big Destroyer for the stakes at Monmouth. Thought it was wise to keep the three boys separated.
“If all goes according to plan, they could all come back and join up for the second stakes, the Mahony.”
Steven Rocco of LJSS Thoroughreds, the owner of Big Destroyer, agreed to target the stakes at Monmouth, with Clement noting that he appreciated the “full autonomy” he received from the “top-class” connections.
Clement’s precocious gelding will have the least experience by far in his second career start, as his seven 3-year-old rivals all have run at least four times. He will be cutting back slightly in distance from his six-furlong debut.
Cairo Surprise, the only New Jersey-bred in the field, will defend his home turf in what could be the toughest race of his career.
The Cal Lynch-trained gelding has not finished worse than second in eight career starts and was disqualified from a second-level allowance victory at Laurel Park, his lone turf race, in April. He has run against New Jersey-breds on dirt in his last two starts and won the $80,000 John J. Reilly Handicap by 6 1/4 lengths last month.
Three runners who finished behind Intricate Spirit in the Paradise Creek are all entered in the My Frenchman. Chasing Freedom, a gelding trained by Rob Atras, finished third in that race and will be facing winners for the second time.
“I think that track at Aqueduct got more rain than people realized, because it was a little on the soft side that day,” Atras said. ‘It was his first race off a bit of a layoff and I thought he ran quite well.”
Capanaparo, the runner-up in the Paradise Creek, has only run on turf twice for Rick Dutrow, while fourth-place finisher Azizam has come up short in five straight stakes defeats in North America for George Weaver.
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