S’maverlous rolls into Sunday feature on four-race win streak
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – S’maverlous will seek his fifth consecutive victory when he heads a field of eight 3-year-olds and up entered in Sunday’s $69,000, second-level optional-claiming feature at Aqueduct. The 6 1/2-furlong race goes as the sixth on a nine-race card.
Claimed three times in his last seven starts, S’maverlous comes off a victory in a first-level allowance race at Belmont on Oct. 17 in his first start for Mike Maker, who claimed the horse for $32,000 on Sept. 11 at Belmont.
In that Oct. 17 race, S’maverlous rallied from 12th in a 14-horse field to get up by a neck. Prior to the allowance win, S’maverlous won for claiming prices of $32,000, $35,000, and $25,000. He has finished out of the money only twice this year, once going two turns over Aqueduct’s inner track and once when fourth to Speightster, who won the Grade 2 Dwyer and is undefeated in three career starts.
“I’m going into it confident,” said Chelsea Heery, the New York-based assistant for Maker. “He’s been doing good.”
S’maverlous is versatile and does well with some pace in front of him. He should get that on Sunday, with Juba, Cerro, and possibly Sir Bond likely vying on the lead.
KEY CONTENDERS
S’maverlous (Last 3 Beyers: 95-93-96)
◗ Has five wins and two seconds from nine starts this year, all since being gelded.
◗ Has benefitted from an outside post in his last four starts, all wins, and now must deal with the rail.
Nubin Ridge (Last 3 Beyers: 88-88-83)
◗ Finished third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, last out at this condition when he chased the pace from the rail under Manny Franco.
◗ Drawn in post 6, and with a rider switch to Irad Ortiz Jr. – who returns from a five-day riding suspension Sunday – he might be able to work out a more comfortable stalking trip.
“I think he ended up diving to the inside in the stretch last time,” trainer Chris Englehart said. “With just a little racing luck, and if he gets a good enough setup, he’s got a good shot.”
Juba (Last 3 Beyers: 92-84-92)
◗ Finished third, beaten a head and a neck by Erik the Red and Saturday’s Charm, at this same condition last out at Belmont Park.
◗ Could play out as the controlling speed under Javier Castellano, who returns from a five-day riding suspension Sunday. Castellano takes over for Eric Cancel, who is beginning a five-day riding suspension Sunday.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Juba. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens is 18-0-6-2 over the past five years in sprints on the NYRA circuit with Javier Castellano aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Cerro (Last 3 Beyers: 84-88-80)
◗ Goes first off the claim for Bruce Levine, who took this 5-year-old gelding for $40,000 for Mike Repole out of a two-turn race at Keeneland on Oct. 11.
◗ Takes blinkers off and shortens up from 1 1/16 miles to 6 1/2 furlongs.
◗ Cerro, Sir Bond, and Lucky Lotto are all in for the $62,500 optional claiming tag.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Sir Bond. Trainer David Jacobson is 21-6-5-1 with a $2.02 ROI over the past five years in dirt sprints with John Velazquez aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan