Core Conviction has a lot on his plate in Jazil
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Core Conviction presents handicappers with a dilemma when he makes his stakes debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Jazil Stakes at Aqueduct.
The lightly raced 5-year-old is making just his fourth career start, first in a stakes, and first around two turns on dirt in the 1 1/8-mile race. Moreover, given his connections, he is likely to take a ton of money against six more accomplished and seasoned opponents.
But the talent – and speed – Core Conviction displayed in winning his first two starts on dirt last fall at Aqueduct make him a top contender in the Jazil, which drew a field of seven.
On Nov. 11, Core Conviction was hustled to the front from an inside post and won a seven-furlong maiden race by 5 1/2 lengths. Waxman, second in that race, came back to win his next two starts, both for trainer Todd Pletcher, earning a 95 Beyer for a first-level allowance win here on Jan. 9.
On Dec. 12, Core Conviction, again breaking from the inside, was hustled to the lead, took some pressure before opening up, then hung on to win by three-quarters of a length. He galloped out ahead of the field with his ears up.
“We don’t think stretching out will be a problem,” said Dan Stupp, the Belmont Park-based assistant to Chad Brown. “He’s been impressive in his last two races.”
Though Core Conviction has been on the lead in those two wins, Stupp noted that in his last two works Core Conviction has sat off the Withers-bound 3-year-old Early Voting and handled that fine.
“Just because he’s been on the front end, doesn’t mean he has to be on the front end,” Stupp said. “There is a bit of pace potentially on paper. I’ll leave that up to Chad and Jose [Ortiz] how they want to handle it.”
Empty Tomb and Splicethemainbrace are the two speeds in the race. Empty Tomb is coming off the two best races of his career, an allowance win going a mile and a second in the Queens County on Dec. 19. In the Queens County, Empty Tomb battled on the lead with Backsideofthemoon, both setting it up for the off-the-pace Forewarned, who scored a 42-1 upset victory.
Forewarned, a 7-year-old who is 10 for 45, is back for more in the Jazil.
Why Why Paul Why has turned his fortunes around since being claimed for $30,000 by Penny Pearce last June. Why Why Paul Why has won five of six since the claim, including a 2 1/4-length victory in the Kris Kringle Stakes at Parx on Dec. 28. Why Why Paul Why, who has the rail, will be trying 1 1/8 miles for the first time.
In his first try at 1 1/8 miles, Twelve Volt Man won the Claiming Crown Jewel on Dec. 4 for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Edwin Gonzalez ships up for the ride.
First Constitution, a Group 1 winner in Chile, was a bust in his U.S. debut in September, but has come back with a trio of solid efforts since. Most recently, he finished second to Empty Tomb in a one-mile allowance race here on Nov. 28.