Offering Plan may be vulnerable in Kingston three-peat bid

ELMONT, N.Y. – Offering Plan beat seven other New York-breds over a yielding course to capture the 2017 Kingston Stakes. He defeated eight foes over good ground to defend that title a year ago. On Monday, Offering Plan will have only five rivals standing between him and a third straight victory in the $125,000 Kingston, which drew a compact but talented lineup to go a mile on the grass.

The biggest obstacle facing Offering Plan in quest of the Kingston three-peat will be the pace, with very little speed signed on and Mo Maverick likely to be loose on an easy lead.

“He’s doing really well, he likes the course, and we’ve been pointing him to this race for a while,” said trainer Chad Brown. “But he really needs pace to get up in time going a mile and it doesn’t look like there’s a lot of that in the field other than Mo Maverick, and that concerns me.”

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Offering Plan won three of six starts in 2018 including the Kingston for earnings of nearly $300,000, capping off the campaign with an easy six-length victory in the Mohawk Stakes here on Oct. 20. He returned from his winter vacation nearly six months later at Keeneland, finishing third while beaten a length against open allowance company on April 5.

“I thought he ran really well in a tough race the first time back,” said Brown. “I think he maybe needed a race, but I can’t make any real excuses. The trip was okay.”

Javier Castellano will take his regular seat aboard Offering Plan in the Kingston.

Trainer Christophe Clement will counter the two-time defending winner with Therapist and Gucci Factor, both of whom enter the race off last-out victories.

Therapist, who is undefeated in four starts at Belmont, finished a late-running third in Gulfstream Park’s Tropical Park Derby in his 3-year-old finale. He subsequently was gelded before returning to open his 2019 campaign with a game neck decision in the seven-furlong Elusive Quality decided over a yielding course here on April 27.

“He was very impressive winning his last start and in my opinion the soft condition of the course was irrelevant. He runs very well on all surfaces,” said Clement, who not only trains but is the co-breeder of Therapist along with owner Oak Bluff Stables. “I thought he trained better since he was gelded from 3 to 4. He was very busy mentally. He’s still busy, but he’s not quite as high as he used to be.”

Gucci Factor has been idle since winning a second-level allowance race against open company on Dec. 29 at Tampa Bay Downs. The son of Gio Ponti will make just his second stakes start on Saturday, having finished third, beaten 1 3/4 lengths in the Ashley T. Cole here early last fall.

“We put him aside after the win at Tampa just to give him a break and he’s training very well for his return,” said Clement. “Both horses need some pace. You aren’t going to change their styles now. And while I’m not sure there will be a fast pace in this race. I think it will be an honest one.”

Mo Maverick led through midstretch before finishing third, beaten just over a length by Hawkish in Monmouth Park’s one-mile Cliff Hanger Stakes earlier this month in his first start since being claimed for $35,000 this winter at Gulfstream Park. He never saw the lead when finishing a distant eighth in the 2018 Kingston.

Rapt, who rallied to finish second, 1 3/4 lengths behind Offering Plan in this race a year ago, and Appealing Briefs complete the field.

Fifty Five the horse to beat

Brown will also have the one to beat, Fifty Five, in the $125,000 Mount Vernon, the female counterpart to the Kingston. Fifty Five has won her last three starts dating back to September. She was beaten a neck after a somewhat eventful trip in this race a year ago.

“A mile is a little short for her and she’s going to need some pace in front of her,” said Brown. “She’s kind of buried inside. She looks to be the best horse on paper. She’s going to have to work out a trip. If things work out in front of her, she should get up.”

Fifty Five is one of two fillies Brown entered in the Mount Vernon along with Lovely La La, who exits a second-place finish in a statebred allowance race in her 2019 debut.

Lady Joan could prove the one to catch coming off a game optional claiming/allowance win at Gulfstream Park to kick off her season six weeks ago, a race trainer Phil Serpe was using as a prep for the Mount Vernon.

Vip Nation, Jc’s Shooting Star, Wish Upon, War Canoe, and Vortex Road also enter the Mount Vernon off recent victories, while Munchkin Money is two races removed from a popular second-level optional claiming/allowance win against open company on March 16 at Gulfstream.