Motown Men has much in his favor in Brubaker Stakes
DEL MAR, Calif. – Motown Men is in a zone this summer at Del Mar, where he looks formidable on Wednesday in the $80,000 Harry F. Brubaker Stakes.
“He’s on his ‘A’ game,” trainer Ted H. West said. “He’s really good right now.”
Motown Men, up in class following a decisive allowance win, faces a good group in the one-mile Brubaker. His rivals include graded stakes winners Big Cazanova and Global View, California-bred stakes winner Rock Me Baby, and lightly raced Smooth Roller.
Smooth Roller must overcome a lack of experience. He has started just twice. Rock Me Baby faces a surface challenge. His best races have come on turf and synthetic. The favorite faces fewer questions.
Motown Men has won three races and $207,550 in five starts since he was claimed for $40,000 by the Gulliver Racing stable of Phil Bongiovanni and Francois Vilgier.
“He hasn’t done much wrong,” West said.
Motown Men’s only miscue for West was a last-place finish in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita. He finished third with a wide trip in the Grade 3 Precisionist in May in his only other loss since being claimed.
Motown Men has thrived this summer at Del Mar. Last out, he won a second-level allowance by more than three lengths after being shuffled back. Afterward, West targeted the Brubaker.
Motown Men worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 last Thursday under Tyler Baze.
“We did something a little different: We worked him real easy,” West said. “I told Tyler, ‘Don’t let him run.’ He still went 12 and change.”
With a versatile style, sharp form, and questions facing his rivals, Motown Men looks like the most probable winner on the Wednesday card.
The Brubaker is race 7.
KEY CONTENDERS
Motown Men
(Last 3 Beyers: 95-63-89)
◗ Motown Men has won seven of 31 starts and earned $443,209. He is the second-leading earner sired by Decarchy. Stoney Fleece earned $592,587.
◗ If he runs well Wednesday, Motown Men could run in the $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes, a California-bred one-mile stakes Sept. 12 at Los Alamitos. However, that would be wheeling back in just 17 days. A second option is the Grade 1 Awesome Again on Sept. 26 at Santa Anita.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Motown Men. Trainer Ted West is 14-1-1-4 with a $0.67 ROI over the past five years in routes with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Rock Me Baby
(Last 3 Beyers: 91-90-90)
◗ A gelding by Rock Hard Ten, Rock Me Baby has won seven races and $492,102 from 20 starts.
◗ The question for him is fast dirt, a surface on which he is 0 for 3. “He’s trained well over it,” trainer Craig Dollase said. “We’ll probably try not to get much kickback in his face. I don’t think he prefers that.”
◗ Rock Me Baby finished second last out in a California-bred turf stakes won by the pacesetter. Rock Me Baby rallied from eighth and missed by a neck. “He made up ground and just came up short,” Dollase said.
◗ Corey Nakatani rides him back.
Smooth Roller
(Beyers: 94-87)
◗ Mike Smith picks up the mount on the unbeaten Smooth Roller, who was ridden in his first two starts by Baze. Smooth Roller is trained by Victor Garcia.
◗ Smooth Roller won his debut in a sprint, then stretched out and won an allowance route over Perfect Set, who returned Saturday to win. Fifth-place finisher Short Heat Wave also returned to win.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Smooth Roller. Trainer Victor Garcia is 30-9-3-4 with a $2.89 ROI over the past five years in dirt races with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Big Cazanova
(Last 3 Beyers: 75-90-93)
◗ The likely pacesetter, Big Cazanova is dropping in class from seven consecutive graded stakes.
◗ His best races have been on synthetic, including a win last fall in the Grade 3 Native Diver. Trained by Peter Miller, Big Cazanova is 1 for 15 on dirt.
Global View
(Last 3 Beyers: 93-87-84)
◗ Fourth by two lengths in a turf stakes last out, Global View will make his first start on dirt. He is 3 for 14, including a win in the Grade 2 American Turf in 2014 at Churchill Downs.
◗ The son of Galileo is trained by Tom Proctor.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Point Piper. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is 65-21-11-7 with a $2.91 ROI over the past two years going turf to dirt in routes. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan