'Name's Bond' star on rise in Unbridled

MIAMI - When he began his 3-year-old campaign, The Name's Bond was struggling to win his entry-level allowance condition. Halfway through the season, The Name's Bond finds himself at the top of his division at Calder, a spot he can solidify with a victory in Saturday's $100,000 Unbridled Stakes.

The Name's Bond did not make a name for himself until mid-March when he shipped up to Ocala and won the restricted Ocala Breeders' Championship by three lengths. Since that time he has won two races, including the Simply Majestic Stakes by nearly seven lengths on May 24.

A son of Jules, The Name's Bond is owned by his breeders, Annabell and William Murphy, and trained by veteran Frank Gomez. In the Simply Majestic, The Name's Bond blew away the competition with a run under regular rider Gary Boulanger that catapulted him from nine lengths back after the opening half-mile to a two-length advantage at the eighth pole. He continued to increase the margin through the final furlong. He earned a 97 Beyer Figure for the performance, the best of his career.

The Name's Bond picks up three pounds off his last win under the allowance conditions of the 1 1/16-mile Unbridled. But he should benefit from an honest pace with stretch-out sprinters Hackleton's Cliff and Mychampion and the speedy Hear No Evil in a field of seven 3-year-olds.

Hackleton's Cliff is the biggest question mark in the field. A nicely bred son of Grand Slam trained by Bill White, Hackleton's Cliff has won his last three starts, although he has yet to run beyond 6 1/2 furlongs.

Hear No Evil finished a distant second behind The Name's Bond after setting a lively pace in the Simply Majestic, but he gets a six-pound weight shift for Saturday's rematch. The third-place finisher in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, Hear No Evil has been on the front end in his four previous starts around two turns.

Just Say the Word could benefit from a lively pace. He lost all chance when he bobbled at the break and raced wide in the one-mile Royal Glint Stakes, his first start in seven weeks. He receives a seven-pound weight concession from The Name's Bond off their only previous encounter, when beaten 6 1/2 lengths in the OBS Champion-ship.

* Juggernaut is the horse to catch when seven older sprinters go six furlongs in the opening race on Saturday's 13-race program, the $40,000 Glitter-man Stakes.

Juggernaut returned from a six-month layoff with an easy win over upper-level optional claiming competition in his 2003 debut and figures to have an even easier time making the lead in the Glitterman.

His chief competition could come from Straight A., who finished a tiring fifth behind Built Up in the Ponche Handicap.