Celtic Pride goes farther in feature

Trainer Michael Yates appears to have the horse to beat, the lightly raced but rapidly improving Celtic Pride, in Friday’s $48,000 allowance feature, a 6 1/2-furlong dash restricted to Florida-bred 3-year-olds.

Celtic Pride exits a very game and well-graded maiden victory at 5 1/2 furlongs on March 1. He contested the pace virtually from start to finish with the 2-1 favorite Arrogancy before prevailing by a nose following an extended stretch drive.

A homebred son of St Patrick’s Day owned by Stonehedge LLC., Celtic Pride earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. The race has since produced a pair of next-out maiden winners, including fourth-place finisher Etendre, who posted a 93 Beyer after defeating the same kind earlier this month.

“That was certainly a huge effort and I’m looking forward to running him again,” Yates said of Celtic Pride. “He’s done really well coming out of the race, and I don’t think stretching him out another furlong will make a difference. In fact the fractions will probably be a little softer on him going six and a half furlongs the way they ride those kind of races.”

Celtic Pride will receive a five- to seven-pound weight concession from the remainder of the field with his regular rider, the apprentice Jon Rivera, aboard.

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Celtic Pride will face six rivals, led by Jigsaw, who finished second, beaten a neck, under similar conditions two starts back. Jigsaw, the only multiple winner in the lineup, returns to allowance company after finishing a tiring fifth in the Sophomore Stakes four weeks earlier at Tampa Bay Downs.

Sound of the Beast, who registered a career-best 75 Beyer finishing a wide-running third against the same kind in his most recent start, also looms a key contender along with Roar Ready and Holiday Pay. Louie the Sun King, who figures to prompt Celtic Pride’s early pace, and Ekati King complete the lineup.

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