Law Professor head of the class in Excelsior
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Any disappointment the connections of Law Professor may have felt after their horse finished third in the Grade 3 Razorback Stakes at Oaklawn Park in February may have been lessened by the subsequent performances of the horses who finished in front of him.
Last Samurai, the Razorback winner, came back to win the Essex Stakes at Oaklawn. West Will Power, the Razorback runner-up, came back to dominate last Saturday’s Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds.
Saturday, Law Professor makes his return to the races as a likely strong favorite in the $125,000 Excelsior Stakes going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct. In his previous start going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct, Law Professor was a 7 1/2-length winner of the Queens County Stakes. Last fall, Law Professor finished second to Life Is Good in the Grade 1 Woodward, also a 1 1/8-mile race at Aqueduct.
In Arkansas, Law Professor didn’t appear to handle the change of scenery too well, according to trainer Rob Atras.
“I still don’t think that was our ‘A’ race. We were definitely up against top-caliber horses,” Atras said. “It’s nice to see those horses come back and run like they did.”
In the days leading up to the Razorback, Law Professor was rank in his training and in the race “was just maybe a little too sharp,” Atras said.
“He didn’t settle and relax like he did in his last race at Aqueduct,” he said.
Atras said that since Law Professor returned to New York and got back in his routine, “he’s training really forward.”
“All his works have been good,” Atras said. “Hopefully, he can give an effort like he did last time.”
Law Professor looks like he could be controlling speed from post 2 under Manny Franco.
There is some rain in the forecast Saturday, but that shouldn’t deter Law Professor, who won the Queens County over a “good” surface.
“He seems to handle any type of surface, including turf, so I don’t think it matters,” Atras said.
Among Law Professor’s main rivals Saturday is Miles D, who won the Discovery at 1 1/8 miles here in 2021. He’s run only three times since. He came off a long layoff in the Fred Hooper at Gulfstream in January and ran seventh. He came back to New York and finished second to Repo Rocks in the Stymie on Feb. 25.
“The first time he took a lot of kickback at Gulfstream,” trainer Chad Brown said. “The second time he ran into a really good, in-form horse. We know he likes Aqueduct.”
Eric Cancel rides Miles D from post 4.
Keystone Field won a second-level allowance at Oaklawn by 4 1/4 lengths on Jan. 7, earning a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure. He also ran in the Razorback, but finished a well-beaten seventh, 20 3/4 lengths behind.
Forewarned, who won last year’s Excelsior, is coming off a victory in the Washington Crossing Stakes at Parx on March 7.
Bourbonic, the 2021 Wood Memorial winner, Curlin’s Wisdom, and Portos complete the field.
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