Carter a golden opportunity for Salutos Amigos

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Salutos Amigos is a gelding, so it won’t help his residual value, but his connections believe he deserves a Grade 1 victory.

“As fast as he is, he definitely deserves to have a Grade 1 under his belt,” said David Jacobson, the trainer and part-owner of Salutos Amigos.

Salutos Amigos will get perhaps his best chance at winning a Grade 1 in Saturday’s $400,000 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct. He enters the Carter off a 2 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3 Tom Fool over the inner track March 12, his fifth Grade 3 stakes victory.

Salutos Amigos is one of eight entered in the seven-furlong Carter, including stablemate Stallwalkin’ Dude; two-time Carter winner Dads Caps and his stablemate Sassicaia; California shipper Calculator; Majestic Affair; and Anchor Down.

Salutos Amigos is 0 for 7 in Grade 1 races, coming within a neck of Rock Fall when second in last year’s Vosburgh at Belmont Park.

Salutos Amigos will carry the high weight of 123 pounds and break from post 5 under Cornelio Velasquez. Of more concern to Jacobson than the weight is the seven furlongs. He prefers Salutos Amigos at six furlongs.

“Sometimes I like seven-eighths for a distance horse cutting back,” Jacobson said.

On Tuesday, Jacobson shipped Salutos Amigos from Belmont to Aqueduct to work a half-mile in 49.19 seconds.

“I just wanted him to breeze over the track that he’s going to race on,” Jacobson said.

The Carter goes as race 11 on the 12-race card and is scheduled for 6:08 p.m. Eastern.