Dry Powder to wheel back in Ruffian
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Dry Power, who finished ninth of 10 in the Grade 1 La Troienne at Churchill Downs on May 1, will wheel back in eight days in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian Stakes at Aqueduct.
The Ruffian is a one-turn mile, the configuration of Dry Powder’s allowance win at Gulfstream Park on March 12. The La Troienne was run at 1 1/16 miles around two turns.
“A one-turn mile is probably her ideal distance and trip,” trainer Chad Summers said Wednesday. “I’m probably an idiot who should have run here in the first place and not gone to Churchill.”
Summers said he was expecting a faster pace in the La Troienne than the 48.54-second half-mile and 1:12.36 six-furlong fractions put up in that race.
Kazushi Kimura, who has never competed at Aqueduct, has the call on Dry Powder. He rode Full Count Felicia to victory in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor in 2024 for Summers and owner Al Gold.
Meanwhile, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Wednesday he does plan to run all three of his entrants in the Ruffian – Eunomia, Dazzling Move, and Ultimate Authority. Joseph said that Sahin Civaci will ride Eunomia, second in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare. Tyler Gaffalione was named, but he has riding engagements at Churchill that day.
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