Dads Caps still targets Carter despite flop in Tom Fool

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said he’s still puzzled over the ninth-place finish by Dads Caps in the Grade 3 Tom Fool last week, but he doesn’t see anything physically wrong with the 6-year-old horse and still plans to run him in the Grade 1 Carter on April 9. Dads Caps has won the previous two runnings of the Carter, his only two wins over the last 27 months.

“I’m still looking for an answer,” Rodriguez said Friday. “He came back good, he looks good. I know they went a little fast, but he’s supposed to finish a little better. Instead of finishing better, he packed it in. I got no clue.”

Rodriguez said he may try to take Dads Caps off the pace in the Carter. He won last year’s Carter from fifth, although he was only two lengths back.

“We’ll run him back, and maybe we take him back,” Rodriguez said. “Hopefully, that works.”

Rodriguez also will run Sassicaia in the Carter. Sassicaia has won two straight, including the Grade 3 Toboggan. On Thursday, Sassicaia worked five furlongs in 1:01.07.

“So far, so good,” Rodriguez said. “He worked very good yesterday, and let’s keep our fingers crossed. He’s got a lot of issues, that’s why we can’t run him every time. I know he’s going to have to step up because it looks like Salutos Amigos is back.”

Salutos Amigos, of course, is coming off a 2 1/2-length victory in the Tom Fool and is expected to start in the Carter.

◗ Flora Dora, the Busanda Stakes winner, worked a half-mile in 48.84 seconds Friday over the Belmont training track. Gabriel Saez was aboard, but it has not been confirmed if he will ride the filly in the Grade 2, $300,000 Gazelle here April 9.