Mexikoma on upswing for Wednesday feature
It’s taken a while, but at age 4, Mexikoma finally appears to be realizing the potential he hinted at in 2013. On Wednesday at Belmont Park, he’ll step up in class in an optional-claiming race that could produce a starter or two for the Grade 1 Cigar Mile on Nov. 28.
There are many ways to be eligible for Wednesday’s one-turn mile. Mexikoma and Anchor Down get in under the third-level allowance clause, Vyjack and Kid Cruz qualify because they haven’t won a race at a mile or longer since April 1, and Don Dulce and Stormin Monarcho are entered for the optional $100,000 claiming price.
Mexikoma and trainer Michael Dilger are old friends. Dilger bought Mexikoma for $55,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s April auction of 2-year-olds in 2013 and then sold him to the Team Valor International stable of Barry Irwin after he won a one-mile maiden race at Delaware Park by 14 lengths.
Mexikoma finished sixth, beaten less than four lengths, in that fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for trainer Richard Metee, made two starts in early 2014, and then went to the sidelines for 13 months.
“When he was getting ready to return to training, Barry called me and asked if I’d like to train him again,” Dilger said.
In his three starts since returning to the races in June, Mexikoma has won a first-level allowance at Belmont, finished ninth in the restricted Alydar Stakes at Saratoga, and won a second-level optional-claiming race by eight lengths at Belmont.
“We really weren’t planning to run him in the Alydar,” said Dilger, a 37-year-old native of Dublin and a former assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher. “We couldn’t get a second-level allowance to go, so we went there. It wasn’t ideal.”
Mexikoma earned Beyer Speed Figures of 97 and 100 for his two summer victories, figures that fit well with this field. He is a lightly raced 3 for 8 and still has plenty of upside.
“He’s a very strong horse, and we’re looking forward to next year with him,” Dilger said. “Being a Florida-bred, we may take a look at the Sunshine Millions with him in January. Of course, this is only the end of October, and if he runs well Wednesday, we have time for other things, too.”
Key contenders
Mexikoma (Last 3 Beyers: 97-86-100)
◗ Both of his wins this year have been over wet tracks. According to weather.com, the New York area is scheduled to receive an inch of rain Wednesday.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Mexikoma. Trainer Michael Dilger is 25-8-4-3 with a $2.42 ROI over the past five years on dirt with last-out winners returning in 44 days or less since their last start. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Vyjack (Last 3 Beyers: 96-99-97)
◗ The likely favorite, he has started in 13 straight stakes since April 2014.
◗ He is winless in eight starts since taking the Grade 2 Kelso at Belmont going a mile in September 2014. His last seven starts have come around multiple turns, and his last three races have been on turf. He could take a big step forward in this one-turn mile.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Vyjack. Trainer Bill Mott is 20-1-6-4 with a $0.59 ROI over the past five years going turf to dirt in routes on the NYRA circuit following a layoff of 45 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Kid Cruz (Last 3 Beyers: 93-92-83)
◗ This will be his first start since chasing runaway winner Golden Lad in the $200,000 Mountainview Handicap at Penn National in May. That was a good effort, as was his second to Red Vine two starts back in April. Golden Lad went on to win the Cornhusker Handicap in his next start. Red Vine runs Friday in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Don Dulce (Last 3 Beyers: 92-90-92)
◗ The 7-year-old just defeated three of his Wednesday rivals – Anchor Down, Catholic Cowboy, and North Slope – in a similar optional-claiming race Sept. 27.