Haynesfield makes stakes debut

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trinity Magic is the standard by which all other New York-bred juveniles are judged. His connections believe they have another New York-bred 2-year-old that could measure up to their multiple stakes winner.

Haynesfield is not as accomplished as Trinity Magic, who was undefeated in three starts before finishing ninth in Friday night's Grade 3 Delta Jackpot. But Toby Sheets, the assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, believes Haynesfield could reach his stablemate's level.

"Definitely," Sheets said. "I think he's probably going to go longer than Trinity. He's a bigger, lankier horse - hopefully, he is. We'll find out."

Sunday, Haynesfield moves into stakes company when he faces 10 rivals in the $75,000 Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-breds at a mile and 70 yards over Aqueduct's inner track. The Damon Runyon shares billing with the $75,000 East View Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies.

After finishing third in his debut at Saratoga, Haynesfield came back on Sept. 25 to win a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race at Belmont by 4 1/2 lengths under a hand ride from jockey Edgar Prado. Two horses he beat that day, Legal Consent and Smokin Hero, came back to win. Legal Consent, who won the New York Breeders' Futurity at Finger Lakes as a maiden, is back in this spot.

Sheets said Haynesfield has not run in 10 weeks because an allowance race wouldn't fill. Ramon Dominguez will ride Haynesfield from the rail.

Tall Poppi and Thunder Roar lead the list of challengers for Haynesfield. Tall Poppi, trained by Barclay Tagg, finished second to Trinity Magic in both the Bertram Bongard and Sleepy Hollow and was second again to Lookin at Her in the Great White Way Division of the New York Stallion Stakes.

Tagg believes Tall Poppi, a son of Intidab, will relish stretching out. Tagg shipped Tall Poppi to Aqueduct on Tuesday to get a breeze over the inner track, and he went five furlongs in 1:00.91, the fastest of 10 works at the distance.

Thunder Roar, a son of Thunder Gulch, won a 1 1/8-mile maiden race at Aqueduct on Nov. 21. That race was with blinkers added after the colt raced greenly when 10th in his debut, which came on turf.

"He's got unbelievable stamina," trainer John Kimmel said. "He ran a mile and an eighth and he wasn't even close to being tired."

Always on the Move, That's Rich, and Fiddlers Afleet are others to consider.