Following illness, Drew's Gold returns in Gold Fever Stakes
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ELMONT, N.Y. – Approximately two decades ago, James Chapman trained a talented sprinter in Caller One, a seven-time stakes winner who earned more than $3.2 million.
In Drew’s Gold, a horse who has won all three of his starts, Chapman thinks he has one with talent on par, if not better, than Caller One.
“Scary good,” Chapman said when asked to describe Drew’s Gold. “He could be the best horse I’ve ever had, including Caller One. This is a freaky horse.”
Away from the races since a victory in the Jimmy Winkfield at Aqueduct on Feb. 11, Drew’s Gold returns in Friday’s $100,000 Gold Fever Stakes for 3-year-olds going six furlongs. Chapman also entered Prove Right in this race, but indicated that horse could scratch and instead run in the Chick Lang at Pimlico next week.
That would leave a field of five for the Gold Fever, a potential prep for the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on June 10, with Drew’s Gold drawn nicely on the outside.
Chapman said Drew’s Gold, despite winning, has had some sort of excuse in all of three races, including the Jimmy Winkfield. Chapman said Drew’s Gold came out of that race sick and believes he might have started feeling ill going into the race.
“He had a little temperature the day he won,” Chapman said.
Chapman said Drew’s Gold got really ill in the days following the race to the point where he was put on penicillin. The horse didn’t start working again until April 7 and shows five breezes coming into this, including a half-mile in 47.11 seconds last Saturday, the second fastest of 95 drills that morning over the Belmont training track. The plan was to go a half in 50 seconds.
“He’s pulling up in 47-flat, neck bowed, doesn’t take a deep breath,” Chapman said.
Jose Gomez has the call.
The competition Friday includes Joey Freshwater, who is coming off a victory in the Grade 3 Bay Shore at Aqueduct on April 8. In that race he defeated Gilmore, who came back to run a creditable third in last Saturday’s Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs.
Linda Rice, who trains Joey Freshwater, has previously said the horse is still a bit immature.
“He’s getting there,” Rice said.
Rice said she is hopeful Squire Creek, winner of two six-furlong races on the lead, can put some pressure on Drew’s Gold so that Joey Freshwater “could sit the pocket trip,” she said.
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Kendrick Carmouche rides Joey Freshwater from post 2.
Squire Creek, trained by Brad Cox, won a maiden sprint at Fair Grounds and a first-level allowance sprint at Keeneland. Florent Geroux is named to ride.
The Gold Fever looks to be a starting-over point for Tuskegee Airmen, who a maiden at Parx on Pennsylvania Derby Day (Sept. 24) and then a minor stakes at Delaware Park three weeks later. Sent off the big favorite in the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct on Dec. 3, Tuskegee Airmen finished third, 11 3/4 lengths behind Dubyuhnell and Arctic Arrogance.
Andiamo a Firenze, a New York-bred stakes winner, is another who could be part of the pace in the Gold Fever.
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