Elite Power favored to continue ascent in Vosburgh
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Elite Power may be late to the scene as far as making it to stakes company, but his timing couldn’t be better when he makes his stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Vosburgh at Aqueduct.
The five-horse Vosburgh typically has come up with short fields but usually due to having a standout sprinter in the race. There is no such standout Saturday, which is why Elite Power figures to go favored despite having never run in a stakes race.
Elite Power, a son of Curlin owned by Juddmonte Farm, was plagued by shins earlier in his career. He was off for six months before returning to the races on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs where he finished third in the last race on the card.
He won twice at Churchill Downs, then came to Saratoga and won a second-level allowance by 3 1/2 lengths on Sept. 3.
“His last three have been very good,” trainer Bill Mott said. “He was getting over shins when he was a young horse. He needed a couple of races and he took off.”
After being run at six furlongs for the last 20 years, the Vosburgh has been returned to seven furlongs, a distance at which it was run for more than 60 years. The Vosburgh does offer its winner a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 5.
“The seven makes it more appealing to me,” Mott said. “He’s a bit of a closer anyway.”
The problem for Elite Power may be the lack of speed in the Vosburgh.
Drafted does not have a lot of speed, but in the Grade 3 Toboggan run here in February, he made a strong early move behind a slow pace and galloped to a 4 1/2-length victory. The Toboggan, like the Vosburgh, was run at seven furlongs at Aqueduct.
“I don’t think he’s going to be too far out of it,” trainer David Duggan said. “He’s spitting fire is all I can tell you. Opportunity knocks, we’re taking a shot.”
Southern District has proven form at Aqueduct, having won a first-level allowance going a one-turn mile here in February, which started a three-race winning streak, all in allowance races. He finished a well-beaten fourth in the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Saratoga.
“He didn’t care for Saratoga at all,” Brown said. “Maybe we’ll find out he’s not up to that class of race, too, I don’t know. Outside of Saratoga he’s run pretty well.”
Manny Franco rides Southern District from the rail.
Mid-Atlantic-based trainer Lynn Cash has entered both Eastern Bay and Jalen Journey in the Vosburgh. Eastern Bay, a 8-year-old gelding by E Dubai, has won 6 of 9 starts this year and is 18 for 40 overall. In 2020, he was beaten a nose in the Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Dash at Laurel Park.
Jalen Journey finished third in Monday’s Liberty Bell Stakes at Parx. Jalen Journey, when in the barn of Steve Asmussen, scratched out of last year’s Vosburgh.
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