Gierkink's review: Poly favors frontrunners

Campbell three-bagger

Jesse Campbell seemed poised to have a productive night when he finished a close third on 25-1 shot Copper Kitten in the first. Campbell went on to take the second on the leading Dixie Troop ($5.60), the sixth on a wide/closing Naevia ($4.40), and the seventh on 10-1 shot Destiny’s Song, who rallied with gusto along the inside to nail 15-1 outsider Ratso Rizzo on the wire.

Heading into Friday’s card, Campbell has 21 wins at the meet, which ties him for fourth in the standings with Justin Stein.

Track trends

Frontrunners won four of the six Polytrack events. Favored Naevia took the sixth by 3 1/2 lengths after mounting a four-wide bid on the far turn from off fast fractions, a pace scenario that negated the apparent bias. In the seventh, pace presser Ratso Rizzo was only a nose away from holding off Destiny’s Song, who was the other off-the-pace Polytrack winner on the card.

The temporary rail was moved to the outermost lane 5 for the second week of turf racing, a position that occasionally favors speed. The two one-mile grass events on the card were won by the wide/closing odds-on favorite Any Given Royal and Power Phil, who led all the way at 4-1.

Horses to watch

CONSOLIDATOR JOE
Trainer: Daryl Ezra
Last race: June 4, 7th
Finish: 3rd by 3/4
Beyer: 71

The 13-time winner appears to have lost a step this year at age 6, but he ran creditably in this $25,000 dash in his first start off the $20,000 claim. According to Trakus, he ran 38 feet farther than the winner after taking the way home from the back of the pack over a speed-friendly track.

DUPES
Trainer: Kathy Patton
Last race: June 4, 3rd
Finish: 3rd by 2 1/2
Beyer: 77

He could have given up after getting bumped between rivals in the stretch, but he finished with determination in a fast-paced turf route, which combined $40,000 non-winners of three claimers with Ontario-sired non-winners of three allowance stock.