Striker Has Dial will have easier time in Wilton
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After sending out Striker Has Dial to win her debut in impressive fashion this spring at Laurel Park, trainer Horacio De Paz was eagerly anticipating bringing his promising filly to Saratoga on Belmont Stakes weekend and trying her at the next level in her second start. That is, until he picked up the overnight and saw the competition included no less a rival than the Grade 1-placed Ways and Means, who was exiting a fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks.
Striker Has Dial ran a distant but very creditable second behind the 1-5 Ways and Means and will return locally to make her stakes debut in Friday’s $135,000 Wilton, a mile race on the Wilson Course restricted to 3-year-old fillies who have never won a stakes other than statebred.
Striker Has Dial, a 3-year-old daughter of Dialed in, contested a rapid pace when stretching to a mile for the first time here last month and while no match for Ways and Means when challenged into the stretch, finished far in front of the others. She earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure for her effort, the highest mark of any member of the Wilton lineup.
“We really liked her the first time out but got stuck in quarantine, which is why we started her in Maryland and not at Aqueduct in her debut,” said De Paz. “When I saw who we were up against in her second start, I knew we were in trouble, but to her credit she ran great. She did her thing, went to the lead, tried to go with the winner for a little bit, and finished far in front of the rest of the field. I was tremendously pleased with her effort. It was a big improvement from her first to second start.”
Fortunately for De Paz, Ways and Means will not be among the opposition on Friday – even though she is eligible for the race.
“The field came out strong and pretty well matched, but at least Ways and Means isn’t in there as she could be,” said De Paz. “I expect to see our filly racing forwardly again, although I’ll leave that part up to Kendrick [Carmouche].”
Five of Striker Has Dial’s six rivals are coming off victories, including the Todd Pletcher-trained duo of Miss Justify and Courbe. The former captured an entry-level allowance race going a mile at Churchill Downs by 2 1/2 lengths on June 1 with a lifetime best 86 Beyer. Courbe has been idle since winning a similarly conditioned event at 1 1/16 miles last fall at Keeneland.
“Miss Justify comes off a good allowance win while handling a one-turn mile at Churchill,” said Pletcher. “This is not quite a one-turn mile but similar, and drawing the rail might be an advantage if she comes away from there.
“Courbe won a couple of races as a 2-year-old, so her options are limited coming back. She’s trained well, although it’s a tricky race going a mile out of the chute, especially with her likely to be coming from off the pace.”
Bells Beach earned her diploma at second asking in very impressive fashion at Churchill Downs six weeks ago, drawing off by 5 1/2 lengths as a tepid favorite for trainer Chad Brown while stretching to a mile for the first time.
Windy Walk has won three of her last four starts, including a $30,000 starter allowance going a mile just 20 days earlier at Churchill, while Dazzling Move exits a game and popular victory over the same distance on June 1 at Laurel.
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