Sacred Thunder looks to turn tables in Miracle Wood
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Trip handicappers figure to be all in on Sacred Thunder in Saturday’s $100,000 Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Park.
Last month, when third in the seven-furlong Spectacular Bid Stakes, Sacred Thunder bore out some at the start, was stuck on the inside down the backstretch, steadied going into the far turn, found traffic at the quarter pole, was blocked behind horses at the three-sixteenths, and shifted into the six path inside the eighth pole. He ended up beaten a half-length.
“Kind of brutal,” trainer Gary Capuano summarized. “He ran a great race. [It was] just unfortunate [that there was] so much trouble. What are you going to do? They don’t usually happen like that where nothing materialized or opened up until it was too late. He didn’t give it up.”
Sacred Thunder broke from the rail in the Spectacular Bid and, as fate would have it, he drew the rail again in the Miracle Wood. However, the Miracle Wood is a mile, and whereas the Spectacular Bid attracted eight participants, the Miracle Wood drew only six and will likely run with five. Studlydoright is cross-entered in Saturday’s John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park, and trainer John Robb said the horse will run there.
Sacred Thunder, a son of Holy Boss, won his maiden going a mile at Delaware in September. Capuano has been looking to stretch him out in distance since but said he hasn’t found the right spot.
“This is the farthest they have,” Capuano said. “This is the first time we get to stretch him out since Delaware. We’re hoping to get two turns next trip.”
Capuano remarked how durable Sacred Thunder is, as this will be his 11th race since he started racing in July.
Pay Billy, a son of Improbable trained by Michael Gorham, enters the Miracle Wood having won two consecutive races, including a first-level allowance going a mile when on the lead Jan. 25. Prior to that, he won a six-furlong maiden race from just off the pace.
“We sharpened him up a lot in the sprint, used him a little bit early, [and] now he doesn’t mind being up there,” Gorham said. “First couple of races he didn’t know what was going on, he just went through the motions. The light bulb went on, and he decided he’s going to be a racehorse.”
Barbadian Runner and Crab Daddy ran one-two in the Spectacular Bid. Crab Daddy made an early move to take the lead three furlongs from home. Crab Daddy shrugged off one challenge but couldn’t hold off Barbadian Runner, who rallied outside and prevailed by a head.
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