Even Thunder will show what he's got in King's Swan

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Joe Orseno went to breakfast recently with a client and before the meal was through he had a new horse in his barn.

“We got more than eggs,” Orseno quipped.

Friday, Orseno and his client, the D J Stables of Leonard and Jonathan Green, will find out more about their purchase when they run Even Thunder in the $100,000 King’s Swan Stakes at Aqueduct. The King’s Swan, a six-furlong race for 2-year-olds, was originally scheduled for Nov. 25, but did not have enough entries to fill.

Orseno had wanted to run Even Thunder in the Nashua on Nov. 4, but he said the horse had been out of training for several weeks while the previous connections entertained offers for the gelding by Even the Score.

Even Thunder has won two of four starts, including the Shakopee Juvenile Stakes at Canterbury on Sept. 17, his most recent start. Even Thunder made an eye-catching four-wide move around the turn and into the stretch in the Shakopee Juvenile, edging away from his seven rivals in the final furlong to win by four lengths.

“We were impressed with the way he came from off the pace,” Orseno said. “We bought him because we wanted to stretch him out.”

Jose Ortiz rides Even Thunder from the outside post in the five-horse field.

Petrov, a debut winner Nov. 12 at Churchill Downs, was entered only after the King’s Swan was postponed by a week.

Le Cat Warrior, The Walk, and Hotfoot complete the field.

The King’s Swan will go as race 3 (1:18 p.m. Eastern) on a nine-race card that begins at 12:20 p.m.

KEY CONTENDERS

Even Thunder, by Even the Score

Last 3 Beyers: 84-61-60

◗ Two starts back, he was compromised by a bad break and closed to finish a well-beaten second behind Line Judge, who came back to win the Jean Laffite at Delta Downs in his next start.

◗ Gets services of Ortiz, who leads the nation in wins.

La Cat Warrior, by Majestic Warrior

Beyer: 82

◗ Won his debut by a length at 22-1 at Belmont on Oct. 23, a race that has produced three next-out winners, including Carradine, who took Wednesday’s Aqueduct opener.

◗ He was scratched out of the Notebook Stakes on Nov. 19 due to a temperature, according to trainer Gary Gullo.

“A day later, he was fine,” Gullo said. “I think my horse is good enough to win. He’s training good. He always acted like he’s got some ability.”

Petrov, by Flatter

Beyer: 75

◗ Chased and caught a loose-on-the-lead Lenstar to win his debut by 3 1/2 lengths at Churchill on Nov. 12.

“We knew he could run, we just didn’t know who he was running against,” trainer Ron Moquett said. “Very honest and very talented horse.”

◗ Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Petrov from the rail.