Locamotor tries to make up for lost time in Lightning Jet

STICKNEY, Ill. -- Locamotor took forever even to make the races. Finally fit to start, Locamotor came out running, winning his first three outs and finishing a close second in the Addison Cammack Stakes at Arlington. Sunday at Hawthorne, he’ll try to rebound from his first poor performance in the $60,000 Lighting Jet Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong dirt dash for older Illinois-breds.

Locamotor posted his first official workout on Jan. 12, 2019, when he was a freshly turned 3-year-old, but didn’t debut until this past June, a 5-year-old maiden but a horse who showed talent right away. Bred and owned by Quarter B Farms and trained by Artie Coontz, Locamotor easily beat Illinois-bred maidens and a first-level allowance foes at Fairmount Park, then transferred that dirt form to Arlington’s Polytrack, where he captured an open first-level allowance. The string of impressive showings continued Aug. 14 in the Cammack, where Locamotor beat six rivals and was a neck behind the accomplished winner Richiesinthehouse, earning a career-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

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The gelding, by Uncle Mo out of the rock-solid broodmare Swither, finally took a step back Sept. 17 in another open allowance race at Arlington, where got hooked in a taxing speed duel and faded to a distant last of six. Something similar could happen again in the Lighting Jet; the race has other place players and so far, Locamotor has been a pure speed horse. He is drawn wide, a plus for a sprinter with this running style, while his main pace rival, W W Scout’s Honor, breaks from the rail. If Jareth Loveberry can settle Locamotor into a comfortable rhythm pressing the pace, he might wear down W W Scout’s Honor and hold off the stalkers and closers.

W W Scout’s Honor is one of three for trainer Scott Becker and owner William Stiritz. He looks a little quicker than stablemate W W Cookie Monster, but Cookie Monster rates the stronger win chance Sunday. Fourth in the 2019 Lightning Jet, W W Cookie Monster exits one of his top showings in years, a close second in an open Hawthorne allowance race at this distance, though it’s worth noting that start came on Oct. 29.

Archiemyboy, the third Becker-trained entrant, flopped in the slop Oct. 29, but while a better horse than that, he’s been beaten by W W Cookie Monster the last four times they met.

Also entered are Devileye and What’s Up Dude, the first two finishers from the 2019 Lightning Jet. Both are 7-year-olds and late-runners qualified to pick up the pieces of a pace battle. What’s Up Dude can be forgiven a dismal recent showing in the Pizza Man Stakes, a dirt route run on a sloppy track, conditions unsuitable for What’s Up Dude. Seven furlongs or a one-turn mile always have been What’s Up Dude’s best lick, but while 6 1/2 furlongs would do, What’s Up Dude has done nearly all his best work on synthetic surfaces, not dirt.

Devileye once had versatility regarding surface and distance and is a five-time winner on Hawthorne’s main track, but he’s been declining for two years now and was no match for W W Cookie Monster in the recent Hawthorne allowance race.

The Lightning Jet is the sixth of eight races Sunday, post time for the feature set at 5:30 Central.