Curlin Stakes a stepping-stone for Gift Box, Connect
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Though trainer Chad Brown believes Connect and Gift Box can be factors in the 3-year-old division this year, he and the horses’ owners have chosen the path of least resistance to get the second half of their seasons started.
With an eye on the Travers Stakes here on Aug. 27, Brown will run both horses in Friday’s $100,000 Curlin Stakes, eschewing more prestigious events such as Saturday’s Grade 2 Jim Dandy against Belmont one-two finishers Creator and Destin; Sunday’s Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park against Kentucky Derby top-three finishers Nyquist, Exaggerator, and Gun Runner; or even the following weekend’s Grade 2 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer, where Brown plans to run Economic Model.
“Not looking to give the horses too hard of a race,” Brown said. “They’re both lightly raced. They’re developing nicely, but I’m looking to run well and move forward off the race, and I think the Curlin gives both horses the best chance to accomplish that.”
Gift Box, a son of Twirling Candy owned by William S. Farish, finished third in last November’s Remsen Stakes behind Mohaymen, another major player in the Jim Dandy. After Gift Box had some difficulty with the track in south Florida last winter, Brown shipped the horse back to New York, his training improved, and he won a first-level allowance race by 4 1/2 lengths on May 26 off a 180-day layoff. This will be his first race in 64 days.
“He benefits from a little extra time,” Brown said. “He’s put some weight on; he looks fantastic.”
Javier Castellano rides Gift Box from post 4.
Connect, a son of the race’s namesake, Curlin, owned by Paul Pompa Jr., finished third at Aqueduct last December in his debut and needed time off for a minor surgical procedure. He returned in May at Belmont, winning a maiden race May 7 going 6 1/2 furlongs and then a first-level allowance race on Belmont Stakes Day by 3 3/4 lengths.
“He has a pedigree to get better as we stretch him out,” Brown said. “I don’t think the horse has any problem getting two turns. We always thought a lot of this horse.”
Dolphus, a half-brother to champion filly Rachel Alexandra, returns from a six-month layoff for trainer Joe Sharp. Trainer Todd Pletcher has entered the uncoupled pair of Ready Dancer and Uncle Vinny, but he also entered both in Saturday’s Grade 2 Amsterdam. Forever d’Oro, Majesto, and Swipe complete the field.
Key Contenders
Gift Box, by Twirling Candy
Last 3 Beyers: 98-90-93
◗ After getting hot in his first two works in July, he appeared to be more settled in his two most recent works, both done in company with Connect.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Connect and No. 4 Gift Box. Have a combined lifetime record in routes of 4-3-0-1; the rest of the field have a combined record of 22-4-5-3. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
Connect, by Curlin
Last 3 Beyers: 94-92-82
◗ He was a pace-pressing winner of a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on Belmont Stakes Day. Wake Up in Malibu, the runner-up in that race, came back to win a New York-bred stakes, while the last-place finisher came back to win a New York-bred optional claimer.
◗ Could play out as the primary speed after breaking from the rail under John Velazquez.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Dolphus. Trainer Joe Sharp is 12-1-2-4 with a $0.65 ROI over the past five years in routes following a layoff of 100 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan