Flexibility, Matt King Coal head local sophomore prospects

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though most juveniles who raced on this circuit this year went south to prepare for their 3-year-old season, there are at least two intriguing prospects who stayed behind.

Flexibility, second to Mohaymen in both the Nashua and Remsen during Aqueduct’s fall meet, and Matt King Coal, a sharp maiden winner at Belmont, head the list of soon-to-be 3-year-olds who may use the New York road to see if they are worthy Triple Crown candidates.

Flexibility, a New York-bred son of 2006 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes runner-up Bluegrass Cat, is trained by Chad Brown. Matt King Coal, a son of 2008 Fountain of Youth winner Cool Coal Man, is trained by Linda Rice.

The connections of both horses have expressed an interest in the Grade 3, $200,000 Jerome Stakes on Jan. 2 at a mile and 70 yards.

◗ Constellation, an 8 1/4-length winner of the Furlough Stakes here on Thanksgiving Day, worked a half-mile in 51.25 seconds Sunday morning over Belmont’s training track.

“It was her first work back, just went easy,” said Toby Sheets, New York assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. “She’s doing very well. What we’re doing, I don’t exactly know yet.”

Constellation, a daughter of Bellamy Road owned by LNJ Foxwoods Stable, is under consideration for the Ruthless Stakes, a six-furlong race here Jan. 17; the Busanda, a mile and 70-yard race here Jan. 23; or the Grade 2, $200,000 Forward Gal, a seven-furlong race Jan. 30 at Gulfstream Park, according to Asmussen.