Clearly Now’s love of surface gives him True North edge
ELMONT, N.Y. – Last July, Clearly Now ran the race of his life, setting a track record and cruising to victory in the seven-furlong Belmont Sprint. On Saturday, trainer Brian Lynch is hoping Clearly Now can duplicate that effort in the $250,000 True North.
The six-furlong True North drew a field of eight that also includes Dads Caps, the winner of the Grade 1 Carter Handicap in his last start, and Rock Fall, who gets a major class check while making his stakes debut in the Grade 2 dash. The field lost some of its luster when defending champion Palace was withdrawn from consideration last weekend by trainer Linda Rice due to a throat infection.
Clearly Now bounced back off a series of losses, several with unlucky trips, to register a 6 1/4-length decision over Palace in the Grade 3 Belmont Sprint. His final time of 1:19.96 is still the track mark for seven furlongs. He also won the seven-furlong Bold Ruler here in the fall of 2013.
Clearly Now has made only three starts since his record-setting performance. He finished far behind Dads Caps while coming off a seven-month hiatus in the Carter before rebounding to miss by a neck to Stallwalkin’ Dude while finishing well in front of the odds-on Palace Malice in an overnight stakes here May 10.
“He didn’t get a lot out of his race in the Carter, but he did out of his last one, and I think we’ve got him right where we want him now,” said Lynch.
Dads Caps has been freshened since rallying to a 1 1/2-length victory in the Carter, his biggest performance since finishing second, a neck behind Private Zone, here last fall in the Grade 1 Vosburgh.
Rock Fall has won his last four starts, including a high-priced optional-claiming race at Keeneland by nine lengths, for which he earned a career-best 109 Beyer Speed Figure. The True North will be his stakes debut.
Trainer Todd Pletcher entered both Rock Fall and Eastwood in the True North. Eastwood finished fourth in the 2014 edition in his only previous stakes try.
Stallwalkin’ Dude posted his fourth consecutive victory at the expense of Clearly Now in the six-furlong Diablo on May 10. He also tries graded stakes company for the first time Saturday.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Stallwalkin’ Dude. Trainer David Jacobson is 11-5-1-2 with a $4.59 ROI over the past two years in dirt-sprint graded stakes on the NYRA circuit with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Key contenders
Clearly Now (Last 3 Beyers: 99-77-74)
◗ He’ll be reunited with jockey Jose Lezcano, who rode him to victory in the Belmont Sprint. “Jose got him to switch leads and set the track record last year,” said Lynch. “Hopefully, he can do it again Saturday.”
Dads Caps (Last 3 Beyers: 102-100-103)
◗ A model of consistency from a Beyer standpoint, he’s posted figures of 100 to 105 in four of his last five starts, although he is winless in four starts at Belmont.
Rock Fall (Last 3 Beyers: 109-93-95)
◗ He has worked four times in the seven weeks since his last race. “He’s had two races already this year, and we’re just trying to hold his form,” Pletcher said.