Circle Back Jack has recency edge in Palisades Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Twilight Gleaming is the heavy favorite in Sunday’s $200,000 Palisades Stakes for 3-year-old turf sprinters for good reason. Trained by Wesley Ward, the filly is making her first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last November in the 5 1/2-furlong Palisades.

But Thoroughbreds can’t read the past performances, and there are six males and another filly who will enter the gate against Twilight Gleaming who don’t know she’s the even-money favorite on the track’s morning line.

One of those is 10-1 shot Circle Back Jack, a Tonalist gelding racing for breeders Susan Evans and Cathy Sweezey. Circle Back is trained by Sarah Hamilton, who launched her stable last year and is seeking her first Keeneland winner and first stakes win.

“Anytime you run at Keeneland, you’re gonna run against a tough field,” Hamilton said.

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Circle Back Jack finished third in the Indian Summer Stakes last October at Keeneland while still a maiden. The Ward trainee Averly Jane won, with Ward-trained Kaufymaker in second, a neck in front of Circle Back Jack. Kaufymaker, a filly, also runs in the Palisades.

The Indian Summer was contested over a course rated good. Wet conditions were expected in Lexington on Friday and Saturday, and some give in the course is likely for Sunday.

Circle Back Jack won his maiden March 12 in his most recent outing, dueling for the lead on the Tapeta at Turfway Park and getting his nose down on the line. Rafael Mojica Jr., aboard for the first time in the maiden win, retains the mount Sunday.

Circle Back Jack has a recency edge over Palisades favorites Twilight Gleaming, Kaufymaker, and Grade 3 winner Slipstream, none of whom have raced since November.

“I think we have the advantage of coming really well out of that win,” Hamilton said. “He has a ton of confidence, he’s fit, he’s ready to rock and roll.”

Twilight Gleaming spent the summer of 2021 campaigning in Europe, finishing second in the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot before winning the Prix de la Vallee d’Auge at Deauville on soft turf. She was a half-length winner of the Juvenile Turf Sprint on a firm Del Mar course Nov. 5. All three of her victories last year came at five furlongs on the turf.

Kaufymaker was knocking on the door of a stakes victory all last fall, finishing third in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint and second in the Indian Summer before running third behind her stablemate at the Breeders’ Cup.

Slipstream won the Grade 3 Futurity at Belmont going six furlongs on turf last October. Trained by Christophe Clement, he was sixth when stretched out to a mile in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Classicstateofmind was an allowance winner sprinting on turf last out at Gulfstream with a Beyer Speed Figure of 86, besting the 84 Twilight Gleaming earned in the Breeders’ Cup as the best number in this field. He has speed and breaks from the rail and is likely to be joined up front by Twilight Gleaming. A fast pace would be to the benefit of late-running Kaufymaker.

Circle Back Jack has set or stalked the pace in most of his races, and Hamilton said he can show some versatility if the pace is nuclear.

“Jack’s matured a lot this year,” she said. “He can kind of sit off the pace if need be.”