Litfin's preview: Card features trio of turf sprints
Turf sprinters are in the spotlight early and often on Friday’s 10-race card, with divisions of 2-year-old maidens in races 2 and 4 and New York-bred preliminary-allowance fillies and mares going in race 8.
Wesley Ward entered the fillies Hooligan and Lamontagne against the boys in race 2, but only one will start since John Velazquez is named on both. Either one could wind up on the lead based on their initial turf races.
Among the colts entered are Hillbilly Style, a son of Malibu Moon purchased earlier this year for $250,000; Delta Outlaw, a Tiznow colt who sold as a yearling for $410,000; and Graham Motion’s duo of Easy Comparison and Potthast, who have trained in tandem at Delaware Park recently.
The filly division features the debut of Lady Zuzu, a half-sister to the multiple graded turf stakes winner Optimizer who hammered for $1.225 million at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton sale at Saratoga.
“That won’t help her when the gate opens,” said her trainer, D. Wayne Lukas. “She’s got to prove it. She cost a lot, but we might have got a lot for our money, too. I don’t know if she’s [going to do well at] five-and-a-half furlongs, but we’ve got to start her somewhere.”
Ward may have the one to beat in To Be Determined, who dueled with subsequent Bashford Manor winner Cinco Charlie in her debut at Churchill Downs before venturing to Royal Ascot for a Group 2 stakes without Lasix.
In race 8, A P Johnson makes her first start of the year for Linda Rice and returns to the scene of her debut victory last August.
In Her Day, formerly trained by Rice, returns from a layoff and tries the grass for new trainer George Weaver. Her half-sister, Mother Russia, was a two-time turf stakes winner at Saratoga in 2009.
Competitive Hall of Fame Stakes
Six 3-year-olds entered for turf in the Grade 2, $200,000 Hall of Fame Stakes, scheduled for the inner course at 1 1/16 miles.
Bashart, Bobby’s Kitten, Long On Value, So Lonesome, and Wallyanna are all stakes winners. However, Give No Quarter may be a stretch factor as he steps up after a big effort to beat preliminary-allowance foes at Belmont Park first time out this year and first time on turf for Graham Motion.
Give No Quarter earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure for that performance July 9, which puts him in the hunt despite a comparative lack of experience on grass.
“He was really impressive. I mean he really did it the right way,” said Motion. “The only thing that worries me is coming back quite quickly. It’s a month off a really big effort off a layoff.”
Horse to watch
BRICKYARD KITTEN
Trainer: Tony Dutrow
Last race: Aug. 6, 8th
Finish: 4th by 5 3/4
Beyer: 82
Shied in and steadied slightly at the start, saved ground into the lane, and altered course to finish willingly behind Silver Freak, who missed the one-mile record on the inner turf course by a mere 0.16 seconds.