Manila could be the spot for High Noon Rider
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer George Weaver said that as well as High Noon Rider has been running since being switched back to turf this spring, he believes “one of these 3-year-old stakes on the grass has his name on it.”
That stakes could be Sunday’s $100,000 Manila, which drew only six 3-year-olds, including likely favorite A Lot and Nonna’s Boy, who makes his turf debut.
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High Noon Rider is coming off a sixth-place finish in the Grade 3, $500,000 Penn Mile, a race won by Force the Pass, who came right back to win the Grade 1 Belmont Derby on July 4. High Noon Rider was beaten only 1 1/4 lengths at Penn National despite racing wide around both turns. He got even closer to Force the Pass when they met April 1 at Gulfstream Park, finishing a neck back while going a mile in the Cutler Bay overnight stakes.
“Other than racing wide, we really had no excuses at Penn National, but when you get beat that short a margin for a half-a-million-dollar purse, you always think of what could have been,” said Weaver, who trains High Noon Rider for R A Hill Stable. “We had to stick with him on dirt for a couple of starts after he won his maiden in an off-the-turf race last fall at Aqueduct, but I always thought he’d be a better horse on turf, and I’m really happy with the way he’s run in each of his last three grass starts.”
A Lot is coming off his best performance, a 5 3/4-length triumph over Croninthebarbarian in the Paradise Creek Stakes here May 23. The win was the second in the last three starts for A Lot, who in between victories finished second behind Divisidero in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs.
Nonna’s Boy finished third and last in the Easy Goer Stakes while making his first start beyond 6 1/2 furlongs June 6. A son of Distorted Humor, Nonna’s Boy recovered to set the pace after stumbling at the break before yielding to his two rivals in late stretch.
Croninthebarbarian, who adds blinkers for Sunday’s rematch with A Lot, won a stakes at 2 and finished third in Gulfstream’s Grade 3 Dania Beach this year.
Key contenders
High Noon Rider (Last 3 Beyers: 85-85-82)
◗ Although he came from next to last in the Penn Mile, Weaver expects to see him placed a little more forwardly Sunday. Weaver pointed out that High Noon Rider led all the way in his maiden victory last November.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 High Noon Rider. Trainer George Weaver is 35-2-5-5 with a $0.33 ROI over the past five years in turf route stakes on the NYRA circuit. – Mike Hogan
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A Lot (Last 3 Beyers: 87-86-85)
◗ He will share the high weight of 122 pounds with Croninthebarbarian under the allowance conditions of the Manila.
◗ He projects to sit a stalking trip under jockey John Velazquez behind the speed of Nonna’s Boy and Gallery.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 A Lot. Trainer Bill Mott is 8-3-1-2 with a $4.25 ROI over the past five years going sprint to route in non-graded turf stakes on the NYRA circuit. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Nonna’s Boy (Last 3 Beyers: 86-85-85)
◗ His sire, Distorted Humor, is slightly above average as a turf sire. His dam, Nonna Mia, never raced on grass, nor have any of her offspring.
◗ He worked extremely well over the turf with Javier Castellano up, kicking away late from Southern Gem here July 4.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Nonna’s Boy. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 22-2-4-2 with a $0.32 ROI over the past five years with horses trying turf for the first time in non-graded stakes. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Croninthebarbarian (Last 3 Beyers: 74-69-76)
◗ Trainer Chad Brown owns a 21 percent success rate with a return on investment of $1.72 when putting blinkers on his horses over the last five years, according to DRF Formulator.
Top Billing returns
Sunday’s third race will pit Top Billing, idle since his fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Pimlico Special in May, against Anchor Down, who was beaten a neck by Matrooh in his last start May 16.
The two favorites will face just three other rivals – Don Dulce, Big Looie, and Second City – going 1 1/16 miles under option-claiming conditions on the main track.