Friday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Improving Jaxer can continue progression in Notebook
Aqueduct | Race 5 | Post Time 2:10 p.m. (ET)
Caroline St. Beat (#5) looked like a future stakes winner when he made his debut at Saratoga this summer, but his connections probably didn't think it would take him another three months to attempt a stakes race. He's obviously had some issues since that first win, and has only managed to squeeze in four workouts for this return, most of them slow drills. I have some concerns about his fitness, and it’s not as if he's catching a particularly soft field of New York-breds in this Notebook. He's obviously a contender, but I wanted to look elsewhere if he's a short price.
The horse who has displayed the most talent of anyone in this field might be Spirit of New York (#1). The only problem is that he's never raced beyond six furlongs. His sharp trainer Adam Rice thinks he can handle it, and this gelding has some dam's side pedigree to stretch out even though progeny of Honest Mischief generally seem to prefer sprinting. Physically, he's pretty convincing, since he's got some size to him and possesses the sustained, extended stride length of a horse who should handle longer distances.
Another runner trying to stretch out from the six-furlong Bertram F. Bongard is Lawyer Mason (#8), who finished third behind Spirit of New York. I don't think he ran as well as the winner, but he did encounter a moment of traffic in upper stretch which cost him some momentum. He's a smaller, more compactly built colt but he does have pedigree to go longer, since his dam is a half-sister to graded stakes winning router Adriano.
My top pick is Jaxer (#6), who has already proven himself going this distance. Graham Motion starting him out sprinting, but has gradually stretched him out in distance, and the added ground appears to suit this son of Slumber. He's also gained mental maturity through racing, looking far more professional when blinkers were added last time. He had to use himself to attain forward position from post 11 that day, and still was able to spurt away from the field in upper stretch. This is a step up in class, but he was much the best last time, and may still have another forward move in him.