John’s Island should like pace in Affirmed Success
Captain Serious and Weekend Hideaway are the marquee names and figure to take the most money, but John’s Island might get the right setup to win Sunday’s $100,000 Affirmed Success at Belmont Park.
A solid field of nine was entered in the Affirmed Success, the lone restricted stakes opportunity at six furlongs for New York-bred sprinters at the 59-day Belmont spring-summer meet.
John’s Island, trained by Jimmy Jerkens, is a five-time winner, having cleared his New York-bred and open-company allowance conditions. However, he is winless in four stakes attempts.
His last two wins came against open company in races in which he passed four horses in the final furlong with a solid late foot. The pace in the Affirmed Success looks like it should be even hotter than in John’s Island’s last two starts.
Captain Serious came off a 75-day layoff to win a New York-bred allowance by 4 1/4 lengths going seven furlongs over Aqueduct’s main track April 7. Captain Serious is 3 for 3 at six furlongs against New York-breds, including a victory in the Hollie Hughes Stakes over Aqueduct’s inner track in January.
Weekend Hideaway won the Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream on Jan. 17 by four lengths, earning an eye-catching Beyer Speed Figure of 107. He then finished fifth in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes and should appreciate the return to New York-bred company.
Both Captain Serious and Weekend Hideaway like to be involved in the early pace, as do I’m Stoked and Loki’s Vengeance.
Curious Cal, Between the Lines, and Empire Dreams complete the field.
Key contenders
John’s Island (Last 3 Beyers: 90-88-88)
* Brings a two-race winning streak into this spot. The horse he beat last out, Green Gratto, came back to run second in the Grade 1 Carter in his subsequent start.
* Is winless in four stakes tries but has yet to run in a stakes at six furlongs, a distance at which he has won three times.
Weekend Hideaway (Last 3 Beyers: 79-107-73)
* Absolutely freaked when he won the Sunshine Millions Sprint by four lengths Jan. 17, registering a 107 Beyer. May have bounced when beaten 8 1/2 lengths in the Gulfstream Park Sprint on Feb. 21.
“He was coming off an incredible race,” trainer Phil Serpe said. “You don’t know how those horses are going to respond. He trained well into the race. We move forward from there. He’s feeling good, and he’s worked well for this race.”
* Finished third, beaten a neck, in this spot last year.
Captain Serious (Last 3 Beyers: 98-97-92)
* Has won his last two – the Hollie Hughes in January over Aqueduct’s inner track and a stakes-caliber statebred allowance going seven furlongs on the main track.
* Is 3 for 3 against New York-breds going six furlongs.
* Shows a best-of-32 five-furlong breeze in 1:00.80 over the Belmont training track April 25.