Litfin's preview: Be Bullish goes for millionaire status

Friday, May 2 preview

Once again, all three scheduled turf races have been moved to the main track.

At least that will have no bearing on the $100,000 Affirmed Success Stakes (race 3), which attracted a field of six older New York-bred sprinters including the David Jacobson-trained entry of Be Bullish and Night Maneuver, and the speedy Marriedtothemusic.

The venerable Be Bullish, reclaimed by Jacobson last fall, has won two of three starts this year at age 9, the only loss coming by a nose on Jan. 30 against Night Maneuver, who was claimed by Jacobson that day and hasn’t raced since. A mere 18 days later, Be Bullish returned to win the Hollie Hughes for the second time by running down Marriedtothemusic. With $946,568 in earnings from 75 starts, Be Bullish can surpass the $1 million mark with a win on Friday.

Marriedtothemusic couldn’t hold off Be Bullish at 4-5 in the Hollie Hughes, but that has been his only loss from four starts this year.

The Hollie Hughes proved to be Marriedtothemusic’s final start for the late Dominic Galluscio. On April 3, first out for Linda Rice, he broke to the lead and widened at every call against open first-level allowance foes and recorded a career-best Beyer Figure of 101. The possibility of a regression looms, however, as the Disco Rico colt has bounced twice off figures of 99 to finish second at odds-on.