Delosvientos getting prep

ELMONT, N.Y. - Delosvientos, a long-winded gelding who has won all seven of his starts going 1 1/16 miles or longer on dirt, will tune up for a defense of his Brooklyn Handicap title as he makes his 6-year-old debut in Thursday's $65,000 Nasty and Bold Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park.

The overnight stakes is run under allowance conditions, so Delosvientos will carry only two to four pounds more than his six rivals. The weight concession would be much greater under handicap conditions, because no one has been able seriously to threaten Delosvientos, a gelded son of Siphon, at 12 furlongs and beyond. At those marathon trips, his five front-running wins have come by an aggregate 34 lengths including a Beyer Speed Figure of 107 for last year's Grade 2 Brooklyn, and a 106 for a lengthy score in the Gallant Fox on New Year's Eve.

After the Gallant Fox, Delosvientos wintered at the Nelson Jones Farms training center in Ocala, Fla.

"The horse is excellent, no problems," said the gelding's owner and trainer, Giuseppe Iadisernia. "We will try to win the Brooklyn one more time."

With showers remaining in the forecast, the track could come up wet, but that wouldn't be an issue for Delosvientos, who won back-to-back races in the slop at Calder by margins of eight and 15 lengths as a 4-year-old.

"He loves the slop," said Iadisernia.

Set to take on the 7-5 morning-line favorite are Alaazo, Atoned, Eldaafer, Alcomo, Critical Acclaim and Lord Kipling.

Todd Pletcher's uncoupled entry of Alaazo and Atoned were compromised by a slow pace in Aqueduct's Grade 3 Excelsior last time out, finishing fifth and fourth. Both 4-year-olds will be racing beyond 1 1/8 miles for the first time.

So will Eldaafer, a 4-year-old gelding by Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy who has won three of four starts this year, including two wins since being claimed by John Toscano.

Alcomo earned a solid 97 Beyer Figure when he ran second at Hawthorne in his U.S. debut last month for trainer Eduardo Caramori. In his native Brazil, Alcomo won three consecutive races at 1 3/16 miles last summer, carrying at least 130 pounds each time. All seven of his wins have come on wet tracks.

Lord Kipling and Critical Acclaim tried Delosvientos in the Gallant Fox, and wound up a distant second and fourth. Both are 6-year-olds who have run their fastest races on dry tracks.