Divine Park tries two turns
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Divine Park will try to jump-start his once promising career when he drops in company and attempts two turns for the first time in a $75,000 optional claiming race at Aqueduct. The $55,000 race, also open to third-level allowance runners, is carded as Friday's third event and will be run at a mile and 70 yards.
Divine Park, a son of Chester House trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, won the first three starts of his career, including the Grade 3 Withers over Aqueduct's main track last April. He missed virtually the remainder of his 3-year-old season due to a bruised hind cannon bone diagnosed in late May while preparing for a start in the Ohio Derby.
Divine Park returned in the Grade 1 Malibu at Santa Anita where, breaking from post 14, he finished ninth, beaten only 5 1/4 lengths. He raced next in the Grade 2 General George at Laurel Park where, after breaking through the gate prior to the start, he finished last, beaten 20 3/4 lengths.
"We thought he ran pretty good in California considering the 14-hole and the layoff,'' said Art Magnuson, assistant to McLaughlin. "After the [General George] we were all thinking we need to stretch him out. We want to run him two turns. He's doing great.''
Divine Park will break from the outside post in the six-horse field under jockey Alan Garcia.
Gary Contessa entered both Storm Boot Gold and Irish Majesty but will only run one because he named Mike Luzzi on both. Irish Majesty is in better form of the two, having finished second to the McLaughlin-trained Nkosi Reigns in this same condition on March 7. Both Contessa horses are entered for the optional claiming tag.
I Ain't No Saint, trained by David Jacobson, is stretching out for the first time since he raced on turf last summer. He has finished first, second, or third in six sprint tries for Jacobson and is making his third start in 23 days.
Greeley's Legacy makes his third start off a layoff and third for trainer Richard Schosberg. After noticeably tiring in a Jan. 25 race, Greeley's Legacy improved slightly in a March 7 race in this condition. He shows a five-furlong move in 59.80 seconds - best of 68 for the day - on March 22.
Kenta Kun has run two solid races since being claimed for $50,000 by Joe Imperio on Dec. 29. Most recently, he finished third in the four-horse Ground Storm Stakes, a race from which runner-up Explosive Heat came back to win.