Crown Point gets first crack at Polytrack

Crown Point has raced 30 times in his career, earning $419,614 while racing on turf and dirt, and in and out of graded stakes company. What he has not yet done is race on a synthetic surface, something he does for the first time Wednesday when he heads a field of 10 in a $56,000 third-level allowance at Keeneland.

How he handles Keeneland's Polytrack surface is anyone's guess, but he fits the profile for success. Although his three victories have come on turf, he has handled dirt. As a 3-year-old in 2005, he ran second in such prominent races as the Grade 3 Pegasus on the Meadowlands main track and the Grade 3 Jamaica at Belmont, which was rained off the turf.

The 1 1/8-mile distance of Wednesday's race suits him. Two of his three wins have come at that distance on turf, including his last victory four starts ago in a July 13 allowance at Belmont Park. His other win at the 1 1/8-mile distance came in the Pilgrim Stakes there in October of 2004, his lone stakes

victory.

Crown Point, a 5-year-old son of Honor Grades owned by Drumlanrig Farm and trained by David Donk, comes off a close fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Sycamore Breeders' Cup on opening day of the Keeneland meet Oct 5. He was disadvantaged by slow fractions of 52.92 seconds and 1:18.72, and attempted to rally while racing widest of the 10 starters in the 1 1/2-mile race. He ended up losing by 2 3/4 lengths to Transduction Gold.

Shaun Bridgmohan picks up the mount on Crown Point for Wednesday's race.

Unlike Crown Point, Passport and Three Twenty Three are winners over Polytrack. Passport, winner of the 2006 Cradle Stakes at River Downs, comes off a two-length score over second-level allowance runners at Turfway on Sept. 19.

"The water wasn't very deep there at Turfway, but he did it pretty easy and got him on his winning way," trainer Frank Brothers said.

Although he feels his horse is returning to form, he said he wonders how Passport will handle the 1 1/8-mile distance and a step up in allowance condition.

Three Twenty Three, meanwhile, has scored victories over the Polytrack surface at Keeneland and Arlington. He is expected to show speed after finishing a close sixth in the Grade 3, seven-furlong Perryville Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 13.