Doubledown Again primed for Forego Stakes
The clockers at Turfway Park have become quite familiar with a gray gelding named Doubledown Again. And why not? Four straight bullet workouts precede his next start in the $50,000 Forego Stakes on Saturday night.
Mike Maker, the trainer of Doubledown Again for Michael Hui, would like for those sizzling preps to equate to a winning effort.
“I’m just hoping he runs the way he’s training and looks,” said Maker.
Doubledown Again, with leading jockey Albin Jimenez to ride, is the horse to beat in the Forego, a 6 1/2-furlong Polytrack race. Since being claimed for $80,000 at Belmont Park in September, he has run exclusively in stakes on the Kentucky circuit, finishing a just-miss second during Breeders’ Cup week at Keeneland before making a premature move into a hot pace in an overnight stakes at the Churchill Downs fall meet.
Doubledown Again figures to loom prominently from the outset when favorably drawn in an outside post in the Forego and facing Six Spot, Plenty Elusive, and Big Blue Spirit as his main opposition.
This is the 32nd running of the Forego, which honors the legendary gelding of the mid-1970s. It is carded as the fourth of nine Saturday night races. First post is 6:15 p.m. Eastern, with the feature set for 7:42.
KEY CONTENDERS
Doubledown Again (Last 3 Beyers: 57-86-87)
◗ A winner of a non-graded stakes last March at Aqueduct, this Kentucky-bred has shown himself capable of some big efforts while doing his best from just off the pace.
Six Spot (Last 3 Beyers: 80-81-88)
◗ Runner-up in the two-turn Prairie Bayou in his latest appearance, this Pennsylvania-bred is an intriguing turnback prospect exiting a series of longer races, including some on grass.
Plenty Elusive (Last 3 Beyers: 75-83-77)
◗ A decent fourth in a Dec. 27 optional-claiming mile over the course, this Kim Hammond-trained gelding has the tactical ability to factor into this entire trip.
Big Blue Spirit (Last 3 Beyers: 81-79-75)
◗ Trainer Darrin Miller had to be elated with the way this British-bred 7-year-old returned from a lengthy layoff when leading throughout to win a Dec. 19 optional claimer here.