Dutrow expects big effort from Kinetic Sky in Toboggan

After Kinetic Sky ran a huge race, albeit in defeat, in June, trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. told owner Sandy Goldfarb he thought the horse could be good enough to win a stakes during the winter at Aqueduct.

Dutrow, who gave Kinetic Sky the summer off in hopes of achieving that goal, nearly proved prophetic when Kinetic Sky came within a neck of winning the Queens County Stakes on Dec. 31.

Saturday, Kinetic Sky will make another stakes try when he runs in the Grade 3, $175,000 Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct. The Toboggan is run at seven furlongs, representing a turnback from 1 1/8 miles in the Queens County.

“He can get all those distances,” said Dutrow, who has run Kinetic Sky from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. “I guess it depends on who he’s in with as far as having a better chance at winning the race.”

Dutrow claimed Kinetic Sky for $62,500 in April. In his first start for Dutrow, Kinetic Sky ran a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure while getting beat three-quarters of a length in a third-level allowance at Belmont.

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Dutrow wanted to give Kinetic Sky the summer off to have him prepared for the fall and winter. In his third start off a layoff, Kinetic Sky won an allowance going seven furlongs and then won another one going a mile just three days before the Queens County.

“He’s a very versatile horse and he’s doing great,” Dutrow said. “He likes this track. He can win at this distance. I love the [outside] post, and that means a lot for us to take a chance to run him. We’re going to hope he wins because we know he’s going to run a big race.”

Jose Lezcano has the call on Kinetic Sky.

Super Chow, a two-time sprint stakes winner as a 3-year-old, was scratched out of an allowance race at Gulfstream in mid-January and shipped to Laurel to run in the Fire Plug Stakes on Jan. 20. The race was postponed that day and ultimately canceled, so this became Plan C, according to trainer Jorge Delgado.

“It looks like we figure in the race. He’s training well. He seems to be the lone speed in the race, which helps,” Delgado said.

Madison Olver, who had two seconds and a third aboard Super Chow last summer and fall, is reunited with the 4-year-old son of Lord Nelson.

Trainer David Jacobson sends out the uncoupled entry of Stage Left and Divine Armor. Stage Left is cross-entered in a starter allowance Saturday at Oaklawn Park, but is expected to run in New York.

Stage Left has not started at seven furlongs since January 2023. He is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Gravesend Stakes on Dec. 30 at Aqueduct.

Divine Armor is a stone-cold closer who most recently finished third in an allowance going 6 1/2 furlongs on Jan. 12.

Manny Wah, cross-entered in the Forego Stakes at Turfway Park, is going to run at Aqueduct, according to trainer Will Walden.

Murray and Skylander, both coming out of runner-up finishes in allowance races last out, complete the field.

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