Prime Factor may pressure Chateau in Tom Fool
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The lightly raced Prime Factor will look to spoil the veteran Chateau’s repeat bid in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap going six furlongs at Aqueduct.
Prime Factor came off a long layoff and a change of connections to win a first-level allowance on Jan. 23 at Fair Grounds. It was his first win since he captured his debut by 8 3/4 lengths when in the barn of Todd Pletcher in December 2020.
Prime Factor was unsuccessful stretching out after that and went to the sidelines following a fifth-place finish sprinting on Derby Day at Churchill Downs.
In November, Three Diamonds Farm purchased Prime Factor for $185,000 out of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Prime Factor originally sold for $900,000 as a yearling.
Prime Factor, turned over to trainer Cherie DeVaux, was solid in that Jan. 23 allowance, breaking sharp and running six furlongs in 1:10.13 without ever feeling the leather from jockey Colby Hernandez’s whip.
“He trained really well going into it without being pushed into the race, he came out in really good shape,” DeVaux said.
It seems unlikely Prime Factor will outfoot the speedy Chateau on Saturday.
“I don’t think he has to run a specific way, I just think he has a lot of natural speed,” DeVaux said.
Jose Lezcano rides Prime Factor from post 4. At 118 pounds, he gets five pounds from stakes winners and co-highweights Chateau and Officiating.
The 7-year-old Chateau won last year’s Tom Fool by 3 1/2 lengths, earning his career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure. He is 6 for 12 over Aqueduct’s main track and is coming off a dominant victory in the Gravesend Stakes here Dec. 19.
“He’s worked well in between races, I think he’s capable of firing fresh,” trainer Rob Atras said. “His last couple of workouts were pretty good. We’re hoping for a top effort.”
Kendrick Carmouche rides Chateau from post 5.
Officiating upset the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector at 7-1 going seven furlongs last December at Gulfstream Park for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. He comes out of a well-beaten third to Speaker’s Corner in the Grade 3 Fred Hooper going a mile. This will be his first career start at six furlongs.
“He’s not a slow horse, in both of his seven-eighths races he’s been right there,” Joseph said. “In the mile race last time he made a big move and flattened out.”
Joseph hopes Prime Factor can keep Chateau entertained early on in the Tom Fool.
“You just want somebody to keep Chateau honest up front, and Prime Factor seems to run his best races when he’s forwardly placed so you’d think he’d be applying some kind of pressure,” Joseph said.
Repo Rocks, second to Drafted in the Grade 3 Toboggan on Feb. 5, and Timeless Bounty, last of seven in the General George two weeks ago, complete the field.
With only five starters, the Tom Fool is carded as race 3 on the 10-race card that begins at 12:50 p.m.