Favorite feeling good for Graduation Stakes
DEL MAR, Calif. - Triumphant Flight proved to be a handful at trainer Eric Kruljac's stable on Sunday, just three days before the colt's stakes debut in Wednesday's $125,000 Graduation Stakes at Del Mar.
"I had to hand-walk him myself this morning," Kruljac said. "He's feeling so good. He's sitting on tilt."
Triumphant Flight won his debut in a five-furlong maiden race for statebreds at Hollywood Park on June 12, fighting for the lead before winning by a half-length. That will make him the favorite in the Graduation, which is run over 5 1/2 furlongs for statebred 2-year-olds.
"For a horse to win first time out with my training, I don't ask them for a lot in their workouts preceding their first outs," Kruljac said. "All these horses move way up the second time I run them.
"He's put on some muscle. He's just thriving. He'll have to move up and I think he will."
Owned by Tyler Seltzer, Triumphant Flight, who breaks from post 2, is likely to have the early lead. There is one stakes winner in the field of eight, Babs Moossa, the winner of the Solano County Juvenile Stakes at Vallejo on July 12.
Trainer Walther Solis has two runners that have placed in stakes - Turbo Call, who was second in the Solano County Juvenile, and Making Dreams, who was second in the Grade 3 Hollywood Juvenile Championship.
Babs Moossa has made four starts, three in maiden claimers. After finishing sixth in a $32,000 maiden claimer and second in a $20,000 maiden claimer, he won a $12,500 maiden claimer at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton on June 25. Babs Moossa was 22-1 in the Solano County Juvenile and rallied from fourth to win by two lengths.
"You couldn't expect that, but I thought he'd run well," trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said. "We want to try him here."
Turbo Call is making his third start this month, having finished fifth in the Hollywood Juvenile on July 5. Solis said Turbo Call is capable of making a quick turnaround from the Solano County Juvenile.
Making Dreams was beaten four lengths by Azul Leon in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship.
"I believe Making Dreams is the horse to beat in the race," Solis said.