Conditions favor Tenango
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The last time Tenango competed in a one-turn, one-mile race, he caught a sloppy track and romped to a 12 3/4-length victory. That was May 9, 2013, or 17 races ago, at Belmont Park.
On Friday, Tenango is again entered to run in a one-turn, one-mile race, and he could very well catch a wet track in the $75,000 optional-claiming feature at Aqueduct.
Tenango and uncoupled stablemate Spa City Fever – both trained by David Jacobson – take on Percussion and four others in the multi-conditioned race. Tenango, Spa City Fever, and Percussion are running under the “have not won a race at a mile or over since May 1, 2014” condition.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Percussion. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 14-2-3-1 with a $0.66 ROI over the past two years in dirt routes at Aqueduct with horses returning from layoffs between 61 and 180 days. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Tenango has been running mostly in races at six or seven furlongs for the last two years.
“I haven’t been looking to stretch him out, but this race came up, the condition was right for him,” Jacobson said. “It’s a good opportunity to stretch him out and see what he can do. That might set him up to stretch out around two turns over the inner track. I expect him to run real good.”
Though uncoupled, Tenango and Spa City Fever actually complement each other. Spa City Fever, the 8-year-old New York-bred gelding, has speed, while Tenango is likely to come from just off the pace under Cornelio Velasquez. In six starts over wet tracks, Tenango has three wins and two seconds.
The last time Spa City Fever raced around one turn at Aqueduct, he finished second to Zivo on April 26. He likely will be part of the early pace under Javier Castellano.
Key contenders
Percussion (Last 3 Beyers: 77-99-88)
◗ He has competed in 10 consecutive stakes races since winning a race similar to this on April 3, 2013, at Aqueduct.
◗ He returns from a five-month-plus layoff for trainer Todd Pletcher, who has a 21 percent strike rate with such layoffs over the last two years.
◗ The last time he raced on a sloppy track, he was run down by Calidoscopio, the 2012 BC Marathon winner, in the Grade 2 Brooklyn last year at Belmont Park.
Tenango (Last 3 Beyers: 95-85-67)
◗ He comes off a two-length win at Delaware Park, where he beat stablemate Castaway and ran a solid time of 1:08.61 for six furlongs.
“It was a four-horse field, but it was legitimate time, and he beat a really nice horse,” said Jacobson, referring to Castaway.
◗ He loves a wet track and should get a good outside stalking trip from post 7 under Velasquez.
Spa City Fever (Last 3 Beyers: 92-88-94)
◗ He set a strong pace when third, beaten three-quarters of a length, in spot similar to this going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont on Oct. 12.
“I loved that last race,” Jacobson said. “He’s just a solid, hard-trying horse, gives you everything every time.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Vegas No Show. Trainer Kelly Breen is 85-29-14-10 with a $3.72 ROI over the past five years going sprint to route on dirt. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan