Full Salute may inherit favorite's role in Hall of Fame
Four last-out winners by daylight margins of between 2 3/4 and 11 lengths will face off against a two-time stakes-placed colt cutting back in distance in Saturday’s $150,000 Hall of Fame Stakes for 2-year-olds at Parx Racing.
The 6 1/2-furlong sprint became a more difficult puzzle to decipher when probable favorite Get jets, winner of a fast maiden race at Saratoga five weeks ago in his career debut, now appears likely to scratch in favor of the $150,000 Bertram Bongard for New York-breds on Sunday at Belmont Park.
His defection increases the chances of Formal Summation, who won the Laurel Futurity two weeks ago, and Monmouth shipper Full Salute, who shortens up off a good second as the 7-5 favorite in the one-mile Sapling.
Formal Summation is 2 for 2 on dirt, but he will need to run substantially faster than the 61 Beyer he recorded in the Laurel Futurity to threaten the sharp horses in this field.
Full Salute, second sprinting on turf in the Tyro prior to his recent runner-up finish in the Sapling, merits respect on the turnback, but trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. is just 2 for 12 with horses switching from routes to sprints on dirt while back in fewer than 30 days.
Bird of Trey owns the best last-race Beyer, a 79 for his 11-length romp over Pennsylvania-breds going five furlongs locally Sept. 5. Trainer John Servis is 3 for 9 over the past five years with 2-year-old maiden winners back within 30 days.
Discreet Lover lost his first three career races before coming from off the pace from post 11 to crush maidens by eight lengths last time out. A repeat of that performance would make him dangerous.
In R Defence faces much tougher company after easily winning his career debut in a maiden claimer less than two weeks ago.