Shorter distance of English Channel should suit Isotherm

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer George Weaver hopes a cutback in distance and a return to the surface of his biggest victory will provide Isotherm the advantage he needs in a full field of 3-year-olds in Sunday’s $100,000 English Channel Stakes, scheduled for a mile on turf at Belmont Park.

Isotherm, a son of Lonhro, went 2 for 2 on turf as a 2-year-old, including a victory in the Grade 3 Pilgrim at Belmont last fall. This year, Isotherm is winless in four starts but has finished second in two stakes and third in another. He is coming off a one-length loss to Deeply Undervalued in the Grade 2 Commonwealth Derby at Laurel Park on Sept. 24.

“Isotherm is a flashy colt – he gets everybody’s attention,” Weaver said. “He looks like an athlete, trains like one, too. Even though we haven’t hit the wire first yet, his races have been pretty damn good.”

Isotherm cuts back to a mile after his loss in the Commonwealth Derby and a one-length loss in the Grade 3 Saranac at Saratoga, both at 1 1/8 miles.

“It seems like he’s been hanging a bit the last sixteenth or so,” Weaver said. “Not in a bad way because he’s really run some big races. He’s always had some quality and been right there. Hopefully, the cutback will do him well.”

A cutback in distance did Toughest ‘Ombre well, as he won a first-level allowance race going a mile here Sept. 28. The Tom Albertrani trainee had been running at 1 1/8 miles and 1 1/4 miles prior to that while facing tough company in stakes.

“In his last race, the [fast] fractions worked out really well,” Albertrani said. “He was coming off a lot longer races, and we decided to try something different with him. Maybe in hindsight, he doesn’t want to go too far.”

Toughest ‘Ombre drew post 12. Albertrani’s other runner, Giant Run, drew the rail. Giant Run is coming off a victory in the Centaur Stakes at Indiana Grand. He is 3 for 5 at a mile.

In the Centaur, Giant Run came from off the pace after being on or near the lead in virtually all of his other races.

“It’s tough to run on the front end all the time and be pressed, so we tried a little different strategy last time, and it worked out really well,” Albertrani said. “Hopefully, there’s a little bit of speed in here and we can sit back off it and try to make the same kind of run he did in his last race.”

Adding to the contentiousness of the field are Our Way and Hammers Vision, the one-two finishers in the Better Talk Now Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 29, and Strike Midnight, a sneaky-good fifth at 46-1 in the Grade 3 Hill Prince.

Fourteen were entered, including one for the dirt, but only 13 can run. Cave Johnson, second to Toughest ‘Ombre last out, is on the also-eligible list.