Litfin's review: Zivo makes it four straight

Streaking

After sweeping three starts on the inner dirt with last-to-first runs, including the Kingston Stakes, Zivo (race 8, $6.10) made it four straight wins for Chad Brown in Saturday’s optional-claiming feature for New York-breds. The 5-year-old horse displayed an added dimension by racing much closer to the early leaders and still retained a powerful stretch kick to surge past Spa City Fever, who had won three of his last four and was loose up front.

The next logical target for Zivo, who earned a top lifetime Beyer Speed Figure of 96, appears to be the $200,000 Commentator Stakes at Belmont Park on May 31.

Drying out

After some fairly significant rain overnight, three scheduled turf races were transferred to a muddy main track, which was sealed for a chalky, early daily double swept by Rudy Rodriguez with Artie Luvsto Party ($3.50) and Amber Coast ($7.50) and harrowed thereafter. The drying-out surface, upgraded to good by race 5, appeared to pick up speed as the day went along.

Batting .500

Jimmy Jerkens capped off an extraordinary spring meet when John’s Island (race 9, $8.20) beat New York-bred maiden special weight sprinters by better than seven lengths in his first start for the trainer. The gelding improved on his most recent Beyer Speed Figure by 30 points and received a career-best 77.

Jerkens finished the meet 5-2-0 from 10 starters, highlighted, of course, by Wicked Strong’s 9-1 upset in the Wood Memorial.

Horses to watch

SWELL
Trainer: Peter Pugh
Last race: April 26, race 7
Finish: Second by 1 1/4
Beyer: 86

Idle since finishing fifth behind Kentucky Derby-bound Samraat last fall, this Langfuhr colt ran big in his 3-year-old debut but simply picked a tough spot against Captain Serious, who was 2-5 and remains unbeaten. He should get through preliminary allowance conditions in short order.