King Kranz, Awesome Gent don't share fondness for mud
There is an 80 percent chance of rain Friday in New York, a forecast that may bode well for King Kranz but not so for Awesome Gent when those two meet in the $100,000 Gold Fever Stakes going six furlongs at Belmont Park.
King Kranz and Awesome Gent finished second and fourth behind Unified in the Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct on April 9, a seven-furlong race run over a muddy track.
Trainer Todd Pletcher said he felt that the wet track was the reason Awesome Gent did not run well in the Bay Shore, in which the New York-bred gelding had a three-race winning streak snapped. Asked Wednesday in Kentucky if Awesome Gent would run if the Belmont main track were wet, Pletcher said, “I don’t know. No wet track is created equal.”
John Terranova felt that King Kranz handled the wet track just fine in the Bay Shore, in which he dueled early outside of Unified and fought on gamely through the lane while clearly second-best.
“Last time, he got right into the race,” Terranova said. “Maybe he appreciated the off going.”
Terranova said it was not his original intent to run King Kranz in this race, thinking he would simply wait for the Grade 2, $500,000 Woody Stephens on Belmont Stakes Day.
“He seems to be thriving off the race,” Terranova said. “We figured he’s doing so well we’d enter and take a look at this. He loves what he’s doing.”
Condo King, who beat King Kranz in a maiden race at Aqueduct in December, adds blinkers after a fourth-place finish behind Awesome Gent in the Jimmy Winkfield on March 6.
Tale of S’avall is adding blinkers as he cuts back to a sprint after finishing sixth in the Wood Memorial last out.
Gold Fever, Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Awesome Gent, by Awesome Again
Last 3 Beyers: 72-99-82
◗ On a dry track, he’s the horse to beat, especially if he runs back to his effort in the Jimmy Winkfield, which he won by four lengths March 6.
◗ Finished a well-beaten fourth in the mud in the Bay Shore. Pletcher said that jockey Manny Franco “felt like he didn’t really handle the track, so we’ll throw that out and try again. He’s come back and worked fine twice since then.”
King Kranz, by Munnings
Last 3 Beyers: 98-87-63
◗ Cuts back to the distance of his lone win and returns to a track where he was beaten just three-quarters of a length by Mohaymen in a maiden race and finished second in the Grade 2 Futurity.
◗ Figures to be part of the pace after breaking from the rail.
Tale of S’avall, by Tale of Ekati
Last 3 Beyers: 83-81-80
◗ Cuts back to the distance of his debut win last August at Saratoga.
◗ Trainer Barclay Tagg adds blinkers to the colt’s equipment.
◗ Didn’t run well in two starts over wet tracks.