Clear sailing for Ten Most Wanted

STICKNEY, Ill. - Ten Most Wanted will not win a medal for toying with five overmatched opponents Saturday in the National Jockey Club Handicap at Hawthorne Race Course. At least he made it around the first turn this time. At least he reminded racing fans what an overpowering horse he is when things go his way.

In the Breeders' Cup Classic last fall, Ten Most Wanted was caught in traffic going into the first turn. Roughed up, he never recovered, finishing eighth. On Feb. 29, in the New Orleans Handicap, he found another mess in exactly the same spot. Carried very wide, Ten Most Wanted checked in a dull fifth.

Wally Dollase, Ten Most Wanted's trainer, wanted his horse to remember what it was like to win a race before he battled the best handicap horses again. The Grade 2, $250,000 NJC Handicap fit perfectly.

Under David Flores, who replaced Pat Day, Ten Most Wanted left cleanly, and in a six-horse field, he had a clean run into the first turn. Even better, the only two speeds in the race, Flemish Cap and New York Hero, locked horns and pushed the pace, winging through an opening half-mile in 46.90 seconds. In the clear, waiting in third, was the big horse, and Flores said he never had to ask for run. On the far turn, Ten Most Wanted ($2.40) inhaled the leaders, and he drew steadily clear in the stretch, with Flores taking a couple peaks back inside the eighth pole. The Grade 1 Pimlico Special, after all, is not that far away.

"He could have gone around again," Flores said to assistant trainer Amy Dollase.

"He was just breezing," Flores said a few minutes later. "It was an easy race for him. He was doing it on his own."

It could have been more, but the final margin was 6 3/4 lengths. Colonial Colony ran on well from the back of the pack, easily beating New York Hero for second. Ten Most Wanted was timed in 1:49.54 for nine furlongs, a good time.

"It was a perfect mind-builder and all that," Dollase said. "He had two very bad experiences, and he needed this."

Synco Peach sticks to statebreds

Since Synco Peach appeared to have a decent shot in an open second-level allowance race here Sunday, there is an excellent chance she has landed in a winning spot Tuesday.

Percy Scherbenske, who trains Synco Peach for owner Lamont Nienast, skipped Sunday's tougher but more lucrative race in order to stay in Illinois-bred company. But for a statebred allowance, Tuesday's sixth race has drawn a competitive field. Synco Peach might be the most talented, but Akana, Stop That Dancer, and She's the Fashion merit respect.

Synco Peach was a well-regarded unraced 3-year-old a year ago. She debuted without Lasix here and finished a fading third, but came back in her next race to win by more than five lengths at Arlington. Synco Peach was 5-2 in her third start on June 1, but her first try against other winners was a disaster, and soon Synco Peach went under the knife and onto the bench, her season ended by an injury.

Back on March 21, Synco Peach was supposed to be a touch short, according to Scherbenske. She won anyway - and looked good doing it - and might be set to move forward with the tightener behind her.

Akana was no match for Summer Mis and others in the Governor's Lady Handicap last weekend, but she had won her first two career starts - both at this meet - going into the race. Stop That Dancer, unraced since October, had her moments last season, while She's the Fashion enters off a neck loss in a solid open $25,000 claiming race.