Little to go on in Rockville Centre
ELMONT, N.Y. – The $125,000 Rockville Centre on Saturday at Belmont Park is billed as a stakes, but five of the eight New York-bred 2-year-olds in the six-furlong race are maidens.
The logical betting choices will be Lucky Lurie and Love That Jazz, who finished a neck apart when running one-two in a $60,000 New York-bred maiden race here June 25. Despite breaking a step slowly, Lucky Lurie might have had the advantage over Love That Jazz by racing outside of that rival throughout the race.
On Saturday, Lucky Lurie breaks from the rail, with Love That Jazz immediately to his outside.
Mark Hennig, the trainer of Lucky Lurie, said: “He’s done great since the race. We’d like not to be in the 1 hole, but I guess not coming out of the chute, that’s not a horrible thing.”
Lucky Lurie, a son of Girolamo, went off as the 6-5 favorite in his debut, perhaps because he had worked well with the likes of Merry Meadow, Regal Minister, and Cabo Cat.
“I did say to my wife in the paddock I thought he could easily get beat because I don’t think the light had come on for him yet,” Hennig said. “He’s good in company, but by himself, he’s very relaxed. He really acts like an older horse. I wasn’t surprised when he broke a little flatfooted, but he immediately put himself in the race.”
Rajiv Maragh rode Lucky Lurie in his debut but is sidelined with a fractured back and broken ribs. Javier Castellano, vying for leading-rider honors at the meet with Irad Ortiz Jr., has the call.
Among the more interesting maidens are Manipulated and Spin Cycle, who will run as a coupled entry for owners and breeders Chester and Mary Broman. Manipulated, trained by Jimmy Jerkens, and Spin Cycle, trained by John Kimmel, both have extensive work tabs.
KEY CONTENDERS
Lucky Lurie (Beyer: 64)
◗ Edged away late from Love That Jazz to take his debut despite switching to his wrong lead late.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the last five years, Hennig is just 1 for 11 with 2-year-olds coming off a win. Last fall, Regal Minister won the Notebook Stakes for Hennig after taking his debut.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Lucky Lurie. Had a winning debut last out at Belmont on June 25. Trainer Mark Hennig is 82-3-10-14 over the last five years with all debuting juveniles, and all three of those winners later won stakes races. – Mike Hogan
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Love That Jazz (Beyer: 64)
◗ Broke inward and might have been a little intimidated racing along the rail in his debut.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Trainer Steve Asmussen is 1 for 13 in juvenile stakes at Belmont Park in the last five years.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Love That Jazz. Trainer Steve Asmussen is 42-13-10-5 with a $3.18 ROI over the past five years in dirt sprints on the NYRA circuit with juveniles in their second career start. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Spin Cycle
◗ Son of Hard Spun is out of the dam Submerge, who is a half-sister to Artemis Agrotera, a debut winner and two-time Grade 1-winning New York-bred for this same owner and breeder.
◗ Has been working with the filly Bag of Tricks, who runs in Sunday’s Lynbrook Stakes as a first-time starter.
“He’s quicker from the gate than she is,” Kimmel said. “He’ll sit and wait, and he should finish really good.”