Stan the Man should enjoy cutback in allowance

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though Stan the Man was successful stretching out to 1 1/8 miles around two turns last time out, his true calling may be as more of a middle-distance, one-turn runner.

Thursday, Stan the Man cuts back to a one-turn mile in a stakes-caliber allowance that serves as the feature on an eight-race card at Aqueduct and is a likely prep for the $150,000 Stymie Stakes at this same distance here on March 9.

The seven-horse field assembled for Thursday’s $80,000 multi-conditioned allowance includes stakes winners Solid Wager, Backsideofthemoon, Exulting, and Hit It Once More.

Stan the Man has not yet won a stakes, but the 5-year-old gelding has won four of his last six starts, including two races going a one-turn mile. One of his two losses since last spring came in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile where he was beaten only 5 1/4 lengths by winner Patternrecognition after stumbling at the start.

“If this was a mile and an eighth, we’d be in there, too,” trainer John Terranova said. “I like the way he ran the other day, but certainly the mile is something we know he can handle.”

While Stan the Man is cutting back in distance, Solid Wager is stretching out a furlong following a 1 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3 Toboggan here on Jan. 19. That race came just 18 days after he finished third in an allowance race at Santa Anita, and now he is coming back in three weeks.

“They’re pretty confident he’ll have no problem with a one-turn mile,” said trainer Chris Englehart. Last month, owner Gary Barber sent Solid Wager to Englehart from trainer Peter Miller. “He came out of the race good; he’s training good. I haven’t had to breeze him because we’re running him back fairly quickly.”

Backsideofthemoon scratched out of the Jazil at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 26 to run in this spot. Exulting, Hit It Once More, and Roaming Union all have the look of horses that want to be involved early.

KEY CONTENDERS

Stan the Man, by Broken Vow
Last 3 Beyers: 96-97-87

◗ Cuts back to a one-turn mile after winning a two-turn allowance race over Aqueduct’s main track.

◗ Drew nicely in post 6, giving jockey Dylan Davis the opportunity to obtain an advantageous outside stalking position in a race jammed with speed.

Solid Wager, by Birdonthewire
Last 3 Beyers: 98-97-97

◗ Got a good setup when rallying from last of five to win the Grade 3 Toboggan last out.

◗ Prior to that, he was third in an allowance race at Santa Anita from which the fifth- and third-place finishers came back to run 1-2 in an allowance race, with the winner getting a lifetime best 97 Beyer.

Exulting, by Tapit
Last 3 Beyers: 0-88-93

◗ Eased as the favorite in the Queens County but has since come back with a solid work tab.

◗ He should prefer the cutback to a one-turn mile, a distance at which he won the off-the-turf Artie Schiller Stakes last Nov. 10, beating Backsideofthemoon.