Caribbean Cowboy takes on shippers in Golden Circle Stakes

ALTOONA, Iowa – Caribbean Cowboy, the best Iowa-bred juvenile last season, faces a stiff test when taking on open company in Friday night’s $75,000 Golden Circle, a six-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds.

Trainer Kelly Von Hemel, who is off to an excellent start with his Iowa-breds here this season, said, “Caribbean Cowboy has matured quite a bit since last year. He worked great on this track [April 23], and he’ll improve.”

Caribbean Cowboy had a tough trip from the inside post in an optional claimer April 1 at Oaklawn Park in his seasonal debut. Jockey Glenn Corbett, whose four wins at this meet all came for Von Hemel, retains the mount.

Headed by the Hawthorne-based Recount, Caribbean Cowboy’s seven rivals are shipping in for the Golden Circle. Recount, trained by Jimmy DiVito, was an easy 3 3/4-length winner of the April 11 Land of Lincoln last out, dusting seven fellow Illinois-breds. Recount is familiar with the trek west down Interstate 80 from Chicago, as he ran third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Private Prospect, in the Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile on Aug. 9.

The speedy Shrewd Move also makes a return trip after an 18-length maiden score last May, followed by a sixth in the Prairie Gold Juvenile on July 19. Trainer Dan McFarlane, who brought Shrewd Move in early to work three furlongs in 36.60 seconds last Friday, got his sprinter back on track with a 4 1/2-length Turf Paradise allowance win April 7.

The Golden Circle has a scheduled post time of 9:37 p.m. Central.

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KEY CONTENDERS

Recount (Last 3 Beyers: 81-85-72)

◗ This gelding, who is 3 for 3 when sprinting around one turn, returns for a high-percentage outfit. DiVito, winning at a 27 percent clip in 2015, is 22 for his last 66 when jockey Emmanuel Esquivel is aboard.

◗ A sharp Sunday drill (five furlongs in 58.80 seconds) at Hawthorne signals his readiness.

Shrewd Move (Last 3 Beyers: 76-79-62)

◗ He can prove tough to pass if granted an early lead.

◗ He has improved nicely this spring for a McFarlane outfit that performs well in stakes here and is winning at a 20 percent clip in 2014-15 with last-out winners.

A M Milky Way (Last 3 Beyers: 90-78-87)

◗ In a race where a hotly contested pace is a good possibility, this underrated and versatile Texas-bred gelding fits nicely. He put forth a career-best effort against open company when second in Oaklawn Park’s Bachelor Stakes last out April 10.

Fancy Man (Last 3 Beyers: 73-59-56)

◗ This owner-trainer-jockey combo won last year’s Golden Circle with the quick Cool Cowboy.

◗ He has been steadily improving in three Tampa Bay Downs sprints, and the turnback to six furlongs suits him well.