David Grening's top 3-year-olds in New York on Feb. 16
With the exception of EL KABEIR, the majority of the locally based 3-year-old contingent is comprised of deep bench players from top outfits such as Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown. We’re including horses based out of town who are targeting the New York preps such as undefeated runners OCEAN KNIGHT and FAR FROM OVER who have already won over the inner track but who are doing their training in south Florida. The most accomplished 3-year-old filly on the grounds is CONDO COMMANDO, the Grade 1 Spinaway winner who is slated to make her 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Busher Stakes.
1 – OCEAN KNIGHT
Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin
Pedigree: Curlin-Ocean Goddess, by Stormy Atlantic
Last race: 1st in Sam F. Davis on Jan. 31 at Tampa Bay Downs
Last Beyer / Best Beyer: 93 / 93
Target race: Gotham, March 7 at Aqueduct
COMMENT: This son of Curlin overcame a difficult post and wide trip to gut out a neck victory in the Sam Davis, his first time going around two turns. He owns a previous win sprinting over the inner track, so surface should not be an issue. While training in south Florida, he is owned by Stonestreet Stables, which also owns Grade 1 winner Carpe Diem. With Carpe Diem being pointed to the Tampa Bay Derby, Ocean Knight is expected to run in the Gotham.
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2 – EL KABEIR
Trainer: John Terranova
Pedigree: Scat Daddy-Great Venue, by Unbridled’s Song
Last race: 2nd in Withers on Feb. 7 at Aqueduct
Last Beyer / Best Beyer: 93 / 95
Target race: Gotham, March 7 at Aqueduct
COMMENT: He is still the most accomplished 3-year-old on the grounds with victories in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill and Grade 3 Jerome at Aqueduct. In the Withers, he got hooked up in a prolonged pace duel with Classy Class before edging away from that one late, but couldn’t hold off Far From Over. He could skip the Gotham and point for the Wood Memorial on April 4.
3 – FAR FROM OVER
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Pedigree: Blame-Alchemist, by A.P. Indy
Last race: 1st in Withers on Feb. 7 at Aqueduct
Last Beyer / Best Beyer: 96 / 96
Target race: Gotham, March 7 at Aqueduct
COMMENT: He overcame a significant stumble to win the Grade 3 Withers in just his second career start. In his debut, he was a hard-fought nose winner over Net Gain, a horse who was an unimpressive third in his next start. There is plenty of reason to believe Far From Over can improve. He returned to Palm Beach Downs to train, but is expected to come back for either the Gotham or Wood Memorial on April 4.
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4 – CLASSY CLASS
Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin
Pedigree: Discreetly Mine-Collegiate, by Saarland
Last race: 3rd in Withers on Feb. 7 at Aqueduct
Last Beyer / Best Beyer: 91 / 91
Target race: Gotham, March 7 at Aqueduct
COMMENT: He made an easy lead in the Withers but then was pounced upon by El Kabeir, making for a prolonged pace battle to which he eventually succumbed while finishing third. It was his first start in 10 weeks, and he should benefit from the race. He had previously finished fourth in the Remsen while contesting the pace while racing on the worst part of the track that day.
5 – DONTBETWITHBRUNO
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Pedigree: Tiz Wonderful-Stomping, by Dixieland Band
Last race: 1st in maiden special weight race on Feb. 1 at Aqueduct
Last Beyer / Best Beyer: 79 / 79
Target race: Gotham, March 7 at Aqueduct
COMMENT: He showed grit in his maiden score on Feb. 1, first putting away the pacesetting Jack O Liam then battling back along the inside on Money Multiplier, who headed him in deep stretch. He dropped a tight decision to March in his previous maiden try. The half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Cyber Secret will be given an acid test in Gotham.
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3-year-old fillies
1 – CONDO COMMANDO
Trainer: Rudy Rodriguez
Pedigree: Tiz Wonderful-Yearly Report, by General Meeting
Last race: 1st in Demoiselle on Nov. 29 at Aqueduct
Last Beyer / Best Beyer: 96 / 96
Target race: Busher, Feb. 21 at Aqueduct
COMMENT: She won three of her four starts by a combined 36 3/4 lengths including the Grade 1 Spinaway and Grade 2 Demoiselle. She was a finalist for the Eclipse Award for champion 2-year-old filly. While she did benefit from a speed-favoring surface in her Demoiselle win, she was simply too good for the group she faced that day including the Grade 1 winner Angela Renee. Wouldn’t expect her to be at her best in the Busher given the rough winter in New York, interrupting everybody’s training schedule.
2 – WONDER GAL
Trainer: Leah Gyarmati
Pedigree: Tiz Wonderful-Passe, by Dixie Union
Last race: 3rd in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita
Last Beyer / Best Beyer: 81 / 81
Target race: Gazelle, April 4 at Aqueduct
COMMENT: After destroying New York-breds – mostly maidens – in the Lynbrook Stakes last July, Wonder Gal held her own with some of the best open-company fillies in training, placing in three graded stakes last year. She was beaten just a length by division leader Take Charge Brandi in the BC Juvenile Fillies. She only recently returned to training and could be on a tight schedule to get a prep in before the Gazelle.
3 – OVERPREPARED
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Pedigree: Quality Road-Daily Special, by Dayjur
Last race: 1st in Busanda Stakes on Jan. 16 at Aqueduct
Last Beyer / Best Beyer: 67 / 76
Target race: Busher Stakes, Feb. 21 at Aqueduct
COMMENT: While she proved herself going two turns with a front-running score in the Busanda, it wasn’t a very fast race. Her best effort came sprinting in her debut last October where she won a six-furlong race by 3 1/2 lengths. See how she fares against a filly the quality of Condo Commando in the Busher.