Moving Style returns for new connections in Michigan Breeders Governor's Cup

Moving Style will try to defend his title in the $20,000 Michigan Breeders Governor’s Cup at Hazel Park on Saturday, which would bookend an eventful year for the gelding.

The 6-year-old Moving Style has raced 11 times since winning the six-furlong race for Michigan-bred older males last August. In that span of time, he tried running on turf, won four times, got claimed twice, and was acquired privately by trainer Shane Spiess, who saddled the gelding to his first two stakes wins in 2012.

Moving Style will go up against a full field of nine in the Governor’s Cup, including the four horses who finished behind him in last year’s edition. Six entries in the field are stakes winners, including Al’s Prayer and Meadow Wise, who won the 3-year-old male and older male divisions of last year’s Michigan Sire Stakes.

Michigan Breeders’ Cup, Race 5

KEY CONTENDERS

Moving Style (Last 3 Beyers: 82-90-83)

Last year’s Governor’s Cup was the first and so far only appearance at Hazel Park for Moving Style, who has won 8 of 14 starts at six furlongs. He has won two of three since rejoining the barn of Spiess and associate Tracey Wisner, and he enters off a third-place finish in a June 24 optional claimer at Indiana Grand.

Spiess initially claimed Moving Style as a 3-year-old for $10,000 in 2012. The gelding won a pair of stakes in his next two starts, including his division of the $50,000 Sire Stakes at Mount Pleasant Meadows, and then was claimed away in May 2014.

Angel Stanley will have the mount aboard Moving Style for owner Merrill Spiess.

Meadow Wise (Last 3 Beyers: 61-64-69)

A stalwart in Michigan’s handicap ranks, Meadow Wise made his 2015 debut in a runner-up effort going six furlongs on June 15 at Hazel Park. Most of his wins have come in longer races, winning just 2 of 18 at six furlongs, but he has also finished second seven times at that distance.

Ricardo Barrios, the track’s leading Thoroughbred jockey, will have the mount aboard the 9-year-old Meadow Wise for owner Marion Gorham and trainer Robert Gorham.

Valient Tenobob (Last 3 Beyers: 66-51-30)

The 7-year-old gelding finished second by a gaining half-length in last year’s Governor’s Cup and is a former track record holder at Hazel Park for six furlongs. His early meet at Hazel Park was unusually sluggish after performing well at the track last year, but he appeared to find his old form in his latest start, winning a six-furlong $7,500 claimer at ThistleDown on June 19 by 1 3/4 lengths.

Valient Tenobob has won 9 of 25 starts at Saturday’s distance. Expect to see him making a late move.

Alvaro Hernandez-Lopez will come to Hazel Park for the first time of the 2015 meet to ride Valient Tenobob for owner Laura Jackson and trainer James Jackson.