Prospect Park sitting on ready for Affirmed
ARCADIA, Calif. – Prospect Park starts over Sunday at Santa Anita, where the former Kentucky Derby candidate will be tough to beat in a small field of 3-year-olds in the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes.
The 1 1/16-mile Affirmed is a step down for Prospect Park, whose Kentucky Derby hopes ended April 4 when he finished fourth in the Santa Anita Derby. As it turns out, Prospect Park had a genuine alibi.
The colt came out of the race sick, with cuts up and down the inside of his right leg. Days later, trainer Cliff Sise and owner-breeder Marty Wygod pulled the plug on a Triple Crown campaign. Prospect Park was treated and given time to recover. It did not take long.
Prospect Park resumed serious training in late April, finished powerfully in his final two works at San Luis Rey Downs, and shipped to Santa Anita for his final work May 31, five furlongs in 1:01.20 under Kent Desormeaux. Looking ahead to the Affirmed, Desormeaux told Sise after the work, “This is going to be fun.”
In all likelihood, it will be a low-odds win for Prospect Park, whose recent workouts and playful behavior are reasons Sise is bullish.
“He will not run badly,” Sise said. “I would be shocked.”
Five were entered in the Affirmed, though Cross the Line could scratch for the $500,000 Ohio Derby on June 20 at ThistleDown. That would leave three rivals for Prospect Park – likely pacesetter Om, the gradually improving Cyrus Alexander, and the stretching-out Gimme Da Lute.
The $100,000 Affirmed is race 3 Sunday and will determine the summer campaign for its participants, including Prospect Park.
“If he runs big, he’ll probably be going back East,” Sise said. “If he does not run well, he’ll go to grass at Del Mar.”
KEY CONTENDERS
Prospect Park (Last 3 Beyers: 95-102-93)
◗ Sired by Tapit and a sibling to Grade 1 winner Silent Sighs, Prospect Park has won two races and $217,570 from seven starts. His best effort was a runner-up finish to Dortmund in the Grade 2 San Felipe two starts back March 7.
◗ Prospect Park has been full of himself all week at Santa Anita, bucking, squealing, and playing. Sise said he expects the fresh colt to be forwardly placed from the outside post.
“He’s going to lay close, probably second,” Sise said. “He drew a good post. Everything is perfect.”
Om (Last 3 Beyers: 90-78-98)
◗ Dan Hendricks trains Om, who entered the weekend as the answer to a trivia question. Prior to the Belmont Stakes, Om was still the only horse to win a race that included American Pharoah. That was a blowout maiden win last summer on synthetic at Del Mar.
◗ Om was sidelined thereafter and finished a respectable fifth in his April 12 comeback. He followed with a first-level allowance win at a mile on turf.
“Two turns is the key to him, I think,” Hendricks said. “If not, I’ll go back to grass at Del Mar.”
◗ Om has won 2 of 4.
Cyrus Alexander (Last 3 Beyers: 83-84-83)
◗ A $1.7 million yearling, Cyrus Alexander is sired by Medaglia d’Oro and is a half-brother to Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver.
◗ Jerry Hollendorfer and assistant Dan Ward train Cyrus Alexander, who is 2 for 7 and a winner of a first-level allowance last out.
“He’s a late developer,” Ward said. “He didn’t really need to be rushed to make the big races.”