Our Caravan should finally get due respect
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Our Caravan, who has made 14 starts, has never been favored. That likely will change Friday when the 5-year-old gelding meets four rivals in a $75,000, stakes-caliber allowance at 1 1/16 miles that serves as the feature on Aqueduct’s nine-race program.
Charter members of the Our Caravan bandwagon might be willing to take a short price on him Friday. After all, his wins have come at 35-1, 9-1, and 8-1. Heck, he was even the 9-5 second choice the day he beat only two horses – including the heavily favored Normandy Invasion – in a Delaware Park allowance.
Our Caravan is coming off an allowance win Dec. 12 over the inner track in which he was offered for $62,500, the same price for which he was claimed by Michael Dubb and trainer Rudy Rodriguez on Oct. 31.
In that last race – which has produced two next-out winners – Our Caravan rallied from fourth position. But the early pace was much faster in that race than it likely will be on Friday. Our Caravan has shown the ability to win from on or just off the pace.
“I hope he’ll be a little closer,” Rodriguez said. “That’s a good spot for him.”
Indycott, who has the rail and jockey Kendrick Carmouche, rallied from last of 14 to be fourth in the Claiming Crown Jewel at Gulfstream. But he did win a starter allowance on the front end at Laurel in November, albeit when allowed to set a pedestrian pace.
First Spark, Stormin Monarcho, and Catron complete the field for this allowance, which goes as the third race.
KEY CONTENDERS
Our Caravan, by Daaher
(Last 3 Beyers: 93-72-87)
◗ New connections waited 42 days to run him after claiming him out off a poor effort, and the patience paid off as he delivered a sharp 2 1/2-length victory over the inner track. He will have had 48 days between that last start and this one.
“This looks like the right time to run him,” Rodriguez said.
Indycott, by A.P. Indy
(Last 3 Beyers: 85-92-90)
◗ Trainer Danny Gargan said Indycott wasn’t getting a hold of the sloppy track at Gulfstream in the early stages of the Claiming Crown, which is why he was 22 lengths back after the opening half-mile. He lost by only 5 1/2 lengths.
“We were told we couldn’t run in jar calks and quarter-inch toe grabs, and he couldn’t get a hold of the track, and he lost contact with the field,” Gargan said. “The distance is the only concern I have. He needs to run further, but I need to run him.”
◗ Three of the horses he defeated Nov. 1 at Laurel have come back to win, including fifth-place finisher Noteworthy Peach, who won a stakes.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Indycott. Trainer Danny Gargan is 25-10-7-1 with a $4.26 ROI over the past six months in dirt routes with Kendrick Carmouche aboard.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 First Spark. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 26-5-1-4 with a $1.40 ROI over the past five years in routes on the Aqueduct inner dirt with Manny Franco aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Catron. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 21-1-3-5 with a $0.22 ROI over the past five years when adding blinkers on the Aqueduct inner dirt. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan