Striker Has Dial may have found her niche

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Striker Has Dial validated her first-level allowance win on Jan. 25 with a second-level allowance victory Saturday at Aqueduct, highlighting a four-win weekend for trainer Horacio De Paz.

Both wins for Striker Has Dial have come at six furlongs and with a minimum of six weeks between races. Striker Has Dial earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure for her win Saturday, following a 97 Beyer for her Jan. 25 victory.

“Just keep her three-quarters and she likes to be spaced out, keep it simple,” said De Paz when asked if he learned anything about Striker Has Dial’s most recent win.

Before the race, De Paz credited jockey Kendrick Carmouche with identifying that the filly might be more effective shortening up than stretching out. Carmouche has ridden Striker Has Dial in eight of her 10 starts.

“Kendrick rode a great race, he knows her, he has a lot of confidence in her,” De Paz said. “He rode four winners for me this weekend. He’s in tune with the barn, as they say.”

Carmouche is approaching a career milestone of 4,000 victories. After five wins at Aqueduct last week, he had 3,993 for his career.

If De Paz wants to keep Striker Has Dial at six furlongs and run her in a stakes race next time out, he will likely have to ship her out of town. De Paz mentioned the $125,000 Skipat Stakes at Pimlico on Preakness Day as a possibility.

*** Manny Franco leads the rider standings with 63 winners, 10 more than Jose Lezcano. Amazingly, Franco hasn’t won a race for trainer Linda Rice while Lezcano has ridden 32 winners for Rice.

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