Joseph well stocked in Carry Back and Musical Romance
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By the time trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. saddles White Abarrio in the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on Saturday he could already have a couple of stakes victories on the day. He also holds a strong hand earlier in the afternoon in both the $100,000 Carry Back Stakes and $100,000 Musical Romance Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
Joseph has entered Langvad and Ramajay, both well-graded and relatively easy winners in their most recent starts, as the likely favorites in the seven-furlong Carry Back. About a half-hour later, he could have as many as four of the seven runners in the 6 1/2-furlong Musical Romance. The quartet is topped by the Grade 2 winner and 125-pound highweight Indy Bay.
Langvad is named after Joseph’s top assistant, Sabine Langvad. The colt posted far and away his career-best Beyer Speed Figure, a 92, in a 5 1/4-length statebred allowance win on May 23. The 3-year-old son of Awesome Slew was stakes-placed last year.
“He ran big last time, a big number. It’s coming back a little quick but I’m going to give him a shot,” Joseph said. “If he can produce that last number again, he should be very tough.”
Ramajay likewise jumped up with a career topper of his own five weeks ago when rallying to a 2 3/4-length allowance tally, good for an 89 Beyer. Joseph said earlier this week he remained uncertain whether he was going to start Ramajay in the Carry Back.
One Hundred Kings, who has shown a lot of talent in a short period of time, and Sonic Surge finished second and third, respectively, behind Ramajay in the trio’s previous meeting, with One Hundred Kings likely to benefit most from the experience. He won his debut as the favorite by two lengths in his career debut on April 19, before returning to finish 2 3/4 lengths behind Ramajay as a prohibitive choice in just his second lifetime start five weeks later.
Demolition is another promising 3-year-old who will give away a lot of experience to the two Joseph-trained favorites. The son of Global Campaign will be making his stakes debut with only one start on his résumé, a very convincing four-length victory going six furlongs on June 13.
Wayne’s Law is the class of the field, having captured the one-mile Aventura Stakes at 2. He finished third behind Renegade in the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs in his 3-year-old debut and was fifth after setting the pace in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. Wayne’s Law would benefit from a lively pace as he turns back in distance for trainer Amador Sanchez.
Musical Romance
Indy Bay’s form tailed off dramatically following her 1 3/4-length triumph in the Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks last August. But she bounced back convincingly in her most recent start with a 7 3/4-length victory in a conditioned allowance race on May 24 for which she received an 89 Beyer Figure.
“We kind of went back to the drawing board. She had a few runs where we couldn’t really find out why she wasn’t running well even though he was training just as good,” Joseph said. “We needed a confidence booster and I thought that was a good win for her. She’s continued to train well since and I feel like she should run well again.”
Indy Bay will concede from five to seven pounds to a field that includes three of her stablemates – Kerry’s Kiss, Cooey, and Luvumorgan, although the latter is not likely to start, according to Joseph.
Kerry’s Kiss was purchased privately and turned over to Joseph following her gate-to-wire allowance win going 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn in March.
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“Our plan was to run her in a one-turn mile but we haven’t gotten a race to go and this seems like a decent spot to try 6 1/2 with her,” said Joseph. “She’s trained like she should run a very productive race also.”
Just a Philly is clearly the best of the three non-Joseph trainees in the Musical Romance, a race named for the 2011 champion female sprinter and Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner trained by the late Bill Kaplan.
Just a Philly, a former $12,500 claimer, brings a two-race winning streak into the race, with both victories coming by 3 1/4 lengths again modest starter-allowance opposition earlier this spring.
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