Commandperformance, Kuchar return from long layoffs
?q=100)
Trainer Todd Pletcher believes a true distance of ground is what Commandperformance and Kuchar want, he’s just not sure they’ll both want it Thursday when they return to the races off extended layoffs in a second-level allowance/optional $62,500 claiming feature that highlights an eight-race Aqueduct card.
Commandperformance, second to Jack Christopher in the 2021 Grade 1 Champagne, has not been out since winning an allowance race Aug. 7 at Monmouth Park. Kuchar, at $500,000 the sales-topper at last July’s Fasig-Tipton horses of racing age sale, has not started since he finished second in the American Derby on July 2 at Churchill Downs.
Commandperformance, a son of Union Rags, had won two straight races going 1 1/16 miles at Monmouth before Pletcher had to stop on him last summer.
“He’s kind of teased us that there’s more there than we’ve seen in the afternoon,” Pletcher said. “We’re hoping as he’s gotten older that maybe he’ll put it all together.”
Kuchar, who finished second in the Oaklawn Stakes in April 2022, was one of four horses agent Steve Young purchased for Larry Sarf’s LSU Racing and Louis Lazzinnaro last July at the Fasig-Tipton sale. He has yet to make it to the races for these connections.
“We had him at Saratoga, we had to stop and give him time off,” Pletcher said. “It’s done him well. He’s come back and trained much better and looks much better overall.”
The last two works for both horses were done in company with each other at the Palm Beach Downs training center.
“They’re both suited to the mile and an eighth, but it’s still a concern off the layoff,” Pletcher said.
Tonal Impact, trained by Linda Rice, is 2 for 2 at 1 1/8 miles, both wins coming over Aqueduct’s main track. Tonal Impact is actually cutting back in distance for this race, having run second and third in races run at 1 3/16 miles and 1 3/8 miles, respectively.
“I knew going into that last one it was a little too far for him,” said Rice, who won three races on Sunday’s card. “It was a race he was eligible for, so we took a shot. I’m much happier running him shorter. At some point, I’d like try him a flat mile.”
The New York-bred Anejo, trained by Doug O’Neill, finished 1 1/2 lengths behind Tonal Impact in a 1 3/16-mile allowance on Jan. 5. He came back to win an open first-level allowance going a mile at Aqueduct, rallying from 14 lengths off the pace.
Celestial Moon has won two straight for Bill Mott, with both wins coming at one mile. Jose Ortiz, who has moved his tack back to New York after a successful winter in South Florida – he won 68 races, third in the standings – has the call.
Treasure Trove, whose last trip to New York resulted in a win when entered for optional $80,000 on Feb. 2, is seeking to end a three-race losing streak since then for trainer Norm Cash.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.