Channel Maker will need his best effort to succeed in Man o' War

ELMONT, N.Y. – There was a two-month period last summer when Channel Maker was among the top – if not the top – older male turf horse in the country. His year peaked with a dominant 4 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park in September.

Following three consecutive losses, however, trainer Bill Mott hopes a return to Belmont results in a return to form for Channel Maker, who heads a field of nine in Saturday’s Grade 1, $700,000 Man o’ War Stakes over the inner turf.

The Man o’ War is the highlight of an 11-race card that has four other stakes, including the Grade 3 Peter Pan for 3-year-olds, the Grade 3 Beaugay for females on turf, the Grade 3 Vagrancy for female sprinters, and the listed Runhappy for sprinters.

The Man o’ War, which drew a field of nine, goes as race 10.

Channel Maker’s victory in the Joe Hirsch capped a two-month period where he dead-heated for win in the Grade 2 Bowling Green and finished second to Glorious Empire in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer. In the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Mott felt that Channel Maker was rushed to try and be forwardly placed over a boggy turf course that ultimately did not play to that style. Channel Maker finished 11th.

Channel Maker then ran in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup Turf, at 1 3/16 miles over a boggy Gulfstream turf, where he finished fifth, 6 1/2 lengths behind winner Bricks and Mortar.

“It certainly wasn’t one of his better races and it wasn’t his best distance and maybe not the best turf course,” Mott said.

Channel Maker returned in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida and raced a bit keen early under Joel Rosario, stalking the front-running Village King and then getting outkicked by Zulu Alpha. He finished fourth, beaten 1 1/4 lengths.

“He’s not an easy horse to ride,” said Mott, whose lone victory in this race came in 1987 with Theatrical. “If he gets a little rank and you try to rate him, his head comes up. You ride him too hard his head comes up. He’s a challenging horse to ride.”

Mott said Channel Maker had a good workout here on Tuesday and likes “running out of our own backyard,” he said.

Channel Maker will break from post 8 under Joel Rosario.

Channel Maker could find himself stalking Epical, a shipper from Southern California who has won three of his last four starts, two of those wins coming at 1 3/8 miles or farther. His lone loss in his last four was a second-place finish in the Grade 2 San Marcos at Santa Anita where he broke poorly.

“Sometimes he wants to be a butthead,” said trainer Jim Cassidy, whose lone win from seven starters at Belmont came in the 2004 Sheepshead Bay with Moscow Burning. “He broke a little awkwardly and got back too far. Tyler [Baze] said if he got out we would have won by five. He didn’t and we didn’t.”

Cassidy said he’s done more gate schooling with Epical since. Baze is in town to ride.

The 4-year-old filly Magic Wand heads an uncoupled entry from the Ireland-based trainer Aidan O’Brien. Magic Wand finished second in the Pegasus Turf and, most recently, finished fifth in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.

Magic Wand is likely to be closer to the pace than her stablemate Hunting Horn.

“She’s got more speed than him,” said T.J. Comerford, assistant to O’Brien,

Hunting Horn, a close-up fourth early in the Sheema Classic, did nose out Magic Wand for fourth in that race.

Focus Group returned from a 5 1/2-month layoff to win the Grade 2 Pan American by a nose. Trainer Chad Brown said he was using that race as a prep for the Man o’ War.

“Actually, I thought he needed one and the fact he won was impressive,” Brown said. “He saved every bit of ground. Off a layoff, he had a right to get tired. I think the ground-saving trip got him there. He got a lot out of that.”

Zulu Alpha has won four of his last six starts, including the Grade 3 W.L. McKnight and Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream. He was third, beaten a length by stablemate Bigger Picture in the Grade 2 Elkhorn on April 20 at Keeneland.

Zulu Alpha is trained by Mike Maker as is Kulin Rock, who came out of a third in the Mac Diarmida to win an allowance at Keeneland on April 25.

Village King, third in the Pan American after setting the pace, and Arklow, a three-time stakes winner and fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, complete the field.