Rodriguez has two for Tom Fool Handicap

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With plenty of speed horses in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct, the race would appear to set up nicely for a closer. In Sassicaia and All Star Red, trainer Rudy Rodriguez has two such runners whom handicappers might find difficult to separate.

Sassicaia, a 6-year-old son of Bernardini, won the Grade 3 Toboggan here more than 13 months ago. He came out of a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Carter last April needing surgery to remove a knee chip. Sassicaia returned from a 10-month layoff with a solid second-place finish behind the front-running Chief Lion in an optional-claiming race here Feb. 17. Chief Lion is among the speed horses entered in the Tom Fool.

“I don’t think I had him really ready to run, and he came back and ran big,” Rodriguez said. “He came back very good out of the race, and he’s training very good.”

All Star Red, a 5-year-old son of Five Star Day, was beaten a head by Green Gratto in this year’s Toboggan eight weeks ago. It was his ninth consecutive loss, though his 99 Beyer Speed Figure from that race was a career high.

“He always tries for us; the only time he didn’t try was the Fall Highweight, but he’s training very good,” Rodriguez said. “He can come from behind, he can be right off the pace, he can put himself in a good position.”

Rodriguez’s pair and Spartiatis, the winner of an optional $62,500 claimer on Jan. 21 for trainer Leon Blusiewicz, should get a good setup with Green Gratto, Chief Lion, and Kentucky shipper The Great War in the field. King Kranz and Sir Rockport complete the field.

The Tom Fool will go as race 8 on a nine-race card that begins at 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

KEY CONTENDERS

Sassicaia, by Bernardini
Last 3 Beyers: 94-86-99

◗ Came back from a 10-month layoff with a solid runner-up finish in a high-caliber allowance/optional $100,000 claimer. Now, he’s coming back in three weeks.

◗ Is 2-1-0 from three starts sprinting over the inner track.

◗ With Irad Ortiz Jr. in Tampa on Saturday, Manny Franco picks up the mount.

All Star Red, by Five Star Day
Last 3 Beyers: 99-95-89

◗ Finished between Green Gratto and Stallwalkin’ Dude in the Toboggan, his best race in four months.

◗ Is reunited with John Bisono, the last jockey to win on him.

Green Gratto, by Here’s Zealous
Last 3 Beyers: 100-96-94

◗ Has had eight weeks since his head victory over All Star Red in the Toboggan. The last time he had this much time between races, he finished last in the Carter last April.

◗ Trainer and co-owner Gaston Grant said the horse had come out of his previous race with a foot bruise and missed some training time.

“Now, he’s really on top of his game,” Grant said. “He’s really training good. I like what I see.”

◗ Carries the top weight of 119 pounds.

Spartiatis, by Scat Daddy
Last 3 Beyers: 99-90-87

◗ Made an auspicious 7-year-old debut in January, winning an optional claimer by a length. Still Krz, third in that race, came back to win a similar optional claimer with a 108 Beyer Speed Figure last Saturday.

◗ Is 4 for 13 at six furlongs but 0 for 17 at other distances.