Falcone hoping more distance helps Prove Worthy deal with class hike

Trainer Robert Falcone Jr. hopes the stretch out in distance will help Prove Worthy handle the step up in class when he sends out the 5-year-old gelding in a first-level allowance/optional $45,000 claiming race going 1 1/4 miles Friday at Aqueduct.

In the spring of his 3-year-old year, when in the barn of Todd Pletcher, Prove Worthy won a 1 1/4-mile maiden race at Churchill Downs. He has gradually moved down the ladder having been claimed by Falcone for $25,000 last summer at Saratoga.

Prove Worthy has made his last two starts at 1 1/8 miles, finishing second as the favorite for $25,000 on Dec. 12 and finishing second again for $35,000 on Jan. 23. In the latter race, Prove Worthy was beaten 6 3/4 lengths by Bold Endeavor who did come back to win at Aqueduct for $40,000 on Sunday.

Falcone had Prove Worthy entered in a starter/optional claimer going 1 3/4 miles on Feb. 17, an Aqueduct card that was canceled. That race was not brought back.

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“The way he trains, it seems like he can run all day,” Falcone said. “The issue with him lately is he puts himself so far out of contention, but he comes running but by then it’s way too late.”

With an expected slower pace going 1 1/4 miles, Falcone is hopeful Prove Worthy can lay closer to the early pace under leading rider Manny Franco.

On Jan. 25, the New York-bred Cut the Cord came off a five-month layoff to finish second, beaten a neck, in an open-company allowance going one mile. That was his first start since he won a second-level allowance going 1 1/8 miles by a nose at Saratoga on Aug. 30. The layoff was a result of the horse getting a cut that required stitches in a stall incident last year at Saratoga.

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart thought it best to freshen the horse and hopefully have him for a winter campaign.

“I always thought he would be able to go a little farther, it doesn’t seem like he’s got many distance limitations,” Englehart said. “He is a horse that the jock has to do a lot of work on.”

Kendrick Carmouche rides Cut the Cord.

Kolomio, a 5-year-old gelding by Constitution, won two straight New York-bred allowance races at 1 1/8 miles for trainer Charlie Baker. He is likely a forward factor under Jose Lezcano.

Mo Rhodes, trained by Rick Dutrow, is coming off a 10 1/2-length win in a $25,000 claimer going 1 1/8 miles last out.

Strapped, Portos, and Street Swagg complete the field.

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