Run Sully Run returns off promising debut

OCEANPORT, N.J. - In Run Sully Run, trainer Cam Gambolati sees a colt wise beyond his years.

Run Sully Run makes his second start Saturday in the $60,000 Tyro Stakes for 2-year-olds at Monmouth Park.

The Tyro, at 5 1/2 furlongs, is the prep for the meet's biggest juvenile stakes, the Grade 3 Sapling on Sept.o2.

Run Sully Run will be one of the major contenders following an impressive debut in which he pressed the pace and dug in for a half-length win over Unbridled Wish. A son of Cherokee Run, he earned a 70 Beyer Speed Figure for that five-furlong effort.

"This colt is very smart, very intelligent for a 2-year-old," Gambolati said. "He acts more like a 3-year-old. So far he's done everything right and nothing has gone wrong."

Run Sully Run was a $130,000 purchase from the Timonium 2-year-old sale in May.

"We're going to try this and see where we're at," Gambolati said.

He has two concerns heading into the Tyro: the distance and the track bias.

He is convinced the colt will get better as the distances stretch out. He would prefer to see this race at six furlongs.

The other worry is the strong speed bias evident many afternoons on the main track, thanks in part to a new cushion that was laid before the start of the meet.

"On a normal racetrack, there wouldn't be a concern," Gambolati said. "Sometimes the speed horses get away from you. A horse can run other horses down, if it's a fair racetrack. That's my problem."

Winning 2-year-old races is generally not a problem for trainer Todd Pletcher at any racetrack. The nation's leading trainer in earnings has been very effective so far at Monmouth in baby races. Pletcher - 5-1-1 from 8 2-year-old starters at the meet - sends out Spanky Fischbein.

The colt was an easy winner in his lone race, against New York-breds on June 15 at Belmont Park, cruising to a 3 1/4 length victory.

Rough Road Ahead also won a restricted race in his only appearance, beating New Jersey breds here on June 30.

Lantana Mob most recently overcame a stumble at the start to run fourth in the Tremont Stakes at Belmont on July 1.

Tap Day goes for win No. 12

The $70,000 Skip Away Stakes, the prep for the Grade 3, $300,000 Iselin Breeders' Cup Stakes here on Aug. 18, finally drew enough runners to be included on the Saturday card.

Tap Day, a winner of 11 of 29 starts, bids for his first win of the season in the Skip Away, which originally was scheduled for July 22.

The Gilded Time Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters, slated for Saturday, did not fill and will not be rescheduled.

Cable Boy works for Haskell

The undefeated Cable Boy worked an easy mile Thursday in preparation for the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 5.

The clockers caught Cable Boy in 1:44 with assistant trainer Gus Duarte aboard as one of the first horses on the track at 5:30 a.m.

"He went nice and easy the first part and I caught the last half-mile in 47," said Pat McBurney, long-time assistant to John Forbes. "He finished full of run and galloped out strong. He was very happy."

Cable Boy is the only Haskell contender training at Monmouth.

"Everything is on target, on schedule," McBurney said. "Everything went perfect this morning."

Cable Boy will have his final Haskell breeze Tuesday morning, weather permitting. Plans call for a five-furlong work with regular rider Jose Velez Jr. aboard.

Cable Boy has run three times, all at this meet. He set a track record for a mile and 70 yards in his second start and most recently won the Coronado's Quest Stakes on June 24.

Besides Cable Boy, the likely Haskell entrants are Preakness winner Curlin, Hard Spun, Any Given Saturday, Imawildandcrazyguy, and Xchanger.