Inside Straight targets Met Mile

ELMONT, N.Y. – Inside Straight, the winner of the Oaklawn Handicap, likely would have been the favorite for Monday’s $200,000 Commentator Stakes here. His connections are hunting bigger game though, and he will be pointed to the Grade 1, $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap on June 10.

“We’re probably going to take some criticism for it, but the horse has been training well, and the owner preferred to run in the Met Mile, so we’re going to give it a shot,” said Robertino Diodoro, who trains Inside Straight for owner Randy Howg.

Diodoro has enjoyed immediate success at his first Belmont meet, winning with 5 of his first 15 starters. He has had six horses claimed from him, including Mishegas, who won here on Thursday. He has also claimed eight horses.

“Thought we could have snuck out another one or two wins, but overall, we’re happy,” Diodoro said Friday by phone from Minnesota before catching a flight to Canada. “Horses are running good. I think we made a couple of decent claims. A couple of bad claims could make or break a meet, but we’ve done all right at the claim box.”