Crystal Quest on three-race streak coming into James W. Murphy
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Crystal Quest faces his toughest test in the $100,000 James W. Murphy for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
Trained by Michael Trombetta, Crystal Quest enters following three consecutive victories, including a three-quarter-length tally in the Sophomore Turf for Florida-breds on March 24 at Tampa.
“His first start, things didn’t set up well for him,” Trombetta said. “He walked out of the gate. He’s a big horse and didn’t have a clue to what he was doing. After that first race, we went back to work and really leaned on him a bit to get him ready, and he’s been good ever since. He’s really evolved.”
Stakes-placed on both turf and synthetic, Twirling Point broke slowly March 23 in the Rushaway on Turfway’s Tapeta, yet still rallied for third, a half-length behind Trikari who returned to upset the Grade 2 American Turf on the Kentucky Derby undercard.
“With a little bit of a better trip, we get lucky and win,” trainer Jonathan Thomas said. “To see Trikari come back and win like that, you like to see that form boost.”
Twirling Point scratched from the American Turf.
“He does not like soft ground. And [the day before the American Turf], it was really soft,” Thomas said.
Thomas runs Saturday as a backup plan after Wednesday’s Caesars at Horseshoe Indianapolis was canceled when the card was abandoned due to weather. He is worried about the rainy forecast at Pimlico.
“I’d hate to ship him all the way up there and get bottomless or come off,” he said.
Naptown makes his turf debut for Graham Motion after finishing third in his seasonal debut, the Woodstock traveling six furlongs over Woodbine’s Tapeta.
“I thought he was pretty fit,” Motion said. “I was a little disappointed, but I’m wondering if [the distance] was just a little quick for him, and I’m hoping the extra distance and setup, which we’ve always had in mind for him, will help.”
Grade 2-placed Fulmineo adds blinkers after finishing second against elders in a first-level allowance on April 19 at Laurel.
“If he would be a little bit more tactical, that would be great,” trainer Arnaud Delacour said. “In his last couple of races, he really dropped out of it, and it was very difficult for him to overcome.”
Delacour mentioned that although he was forced to leave Fulmineo at Laurel for two weeks after the last race due to a quarantine situation, “he’s been showing us all the right signs.”
Lucky Jeremy tries turf after being purchased for $210,000 at auction last month.
Massif, Speedyness, Buckin’ Dreamer, Echo Lane, Abrumar, and Tocayo also entered. Copper Tax runs main track only.
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