Grab bag of contenders in Thursday allowance
Headed by five horses with experience in graded stakes, nine older turf-meant runners were entered in Thursday’s featured eighth race, an $85,000 optional claimer with third-level allowance conditions at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf.
Evaluations must be made of last-race running lines at six tracks. The horses in the field come off races at Aqueduct, Churchill Downs, Gulfstream Park, Keeneland, Pimlico, and Tampa Bay Downs, and prominent contenders Abtaal and Dorsett – both stakes winners – make their seasonal debuts.
Abtaal, who captured the Group 3 Prix Thomas Bryon in France as a 2-year-old, makes his 6-year-old debut and third start in the United States. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Abtaal has been sidelined since finishing off the board in the Canadian Turf in February 2014. Abtaal won his U.S. debut in a second-level allowance with more than a year between starts.
Dorsett is the field’s top money earner on turf, thanks to a win in the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury Park. He gets a switch back to John Velazquez, who was aboard for a close fourth in the Grade 2 Fourstardave Stakes in Dorsett’s only prior New York appearance.
That also was the last start on firm turf for Dorsett, who returns off a series of workouts at Keeneland for trainer Brian Lynch.
“He’s trained well coming into this race, and we’re expecting a solid effort with a fresh horse,” said Lynch.
Other contenders include Cage Fighter, a Fair Hill-based horse who has won 5 of his last 8; Blacktype, a French import from Christophe Clement who steps up after overcoming a slow pace to win a second-level allowance; and Arctic North, who won over the course last fall and drops out of a close fourth in the Grade 2 Pan American.
KEY CONTENDERS
DORSETT (Last 3 Beyers: 79-90-84)
◗ He was beaten a nose two starts back by Saffron Hall, who subsequently won his next two starts, including the Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes.
BLACKTYPE (Last 3 Beyers: 92-88-90)
◗ He broke through on the third try for his first U.S. victory, getting up by a nose at Aqueduct with the addition of blinkers.
◗ His uncoupled stablemate Iron Power ensures an honest pace in this race.
ARCTIC NORTH (Last 3 Beyers: 99-89-91)
◗ He is the only two-time winner at the distance on turf in this field.
◗ He gets a switch back to Javier Castellano, who was aboard for a win over the course last fall.