Friend Ofthe Devil will be flying on front end in stallion stakes
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Friend Ofthe Devil will be the horse to catch and beat as he looks to stay unbeaten sprinting over Aqueduct’s turf course in Saturday’s $150,000 Spectacular Bid division of the New York Stallion Series for 3-year-olds.
A son of Honest Mischief trained by Carlos Martin, Friend Ofthe Devil, well-beaten in three dirt tries, has won his two turf sprints by a combined 9 3/4 lengths. That includes a first-level allowance for New York-breds on April 25 – his first start off a 131-day layoff – when Friend Ofthe Devil roared to a 3 1/2-length victory, running six furlongs in 1:07.31, just .58 of a second off the course record set last July by Outlaw Kid. Friend Ofthe Devil went opening splits that day in 21.38 seconds and 43.59.
“To run [those fractions] after that kind of a layoff shows he’s a good horse,” said Martin, who trains Friend Ofthe Devil for Marc Holliday’s Blue Devil Racing and Jerry Zaro. “When you saw 43-and-2, it looked like he was doing it so easily. He’s so fast, he doesn’t look like he’s running.”
Martin is sticking with apprentice Christopher Elliott, who, since this is a stakes race, does not get the five-pound weight allowance he would in an overnight race. Elliott has ridden Friend Ofthe Devil in his two turf wins.
“He knows the horse, he’s put in a lot of time working the horse and getting on him in the morning,” Martin said. “He seems to get along well with him.”
Friend Ofthe Devil looms the main speed. Ironically, Martin’s other entrant, Dancing Bear, earned his lone career win on the front end last July. Martin said he is not anticipating the duo getting involved in a pace duel.
“I’ve been trying to get him to settle after he went 43-and-4 and stopped last time,” Martin said of Dancing Bear.
I’m Due, a son of War Dancer, is facing restricted company for the first time since his second career start when he finished eighth in a 12-horse field of maidens. I’m Due has yet to sprint on turf, but trainer Kent Sweezey is hoping Dylan Davis can work out a stalking trip.
Sweezey noted that I’m Due ran a good third in the Cutler Bay Stakes at Gulfstream Park in March, a race run at 7 1/2 furlongs around two turns. Paco Lopez rode him that day.
“They were rolling up front, Paco put him into the race and I said afterward ‘You think he’d go six?’ He said ‘Yes.’ The beauty of six [furlongs] is if they go too quick they might come back to him and I think he’ll sit a perfect trip.”
River of Time will try restricted company and sprinting for the first time. Soontobeking, who has a stakes win and seven other stakes placings on dirt, would be making his turf debut in this spot. Sunshine Dancer and Strobe Light are both 0-for-1 maidens.
The Spectacular Bid, named for the 1980 Horse of the Year who never raced on turf, goes as race 6 on an 11-race card that begins at 1:10 p.m.
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