Super Chow goes after hat trick in the Inaugural

Super Chow will be looking to win his third consecutive race Saturday in the Inaugural at Tampa Bay Downs. Super Chow is set to break from the outside gate in a field of seven 2-year-olds.

“We love the post position,” said trainer Jorge Delgado.

The Inaugural is one of two six-furlong stakes on a card of races restricted to 2-year-olds. The other stakes is the Sandpiper for fillies, which drew six led by Lady Radler and Dorth Vader. The stakes are for open company, and Florida-breds that meet certain eligibilty requirements will be running for a maximum purse of $100,000. Others will be racing for $50,000.

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The card includes a maiden special weight that drew White Hot Gold, a half-sister to $1.7 million earner Mind Control, who runs Saturday at Aqueduct in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.

Super Chow is one of the most accomplished 2-year-olds on the card. He’s gone 3 for 4 in his young career, and in his last two starts has won a first-level allowance at Pimlico and the Bowman Mill at Keeneland.

“He hasn’t done anything wrong,” said Delgado. “He’s pretty mature and also athletic and very strong everywhere – all along his back end, his front end, his neck. He’s really well built.”

Super Chow’s three wins have come going wire to wire. The outside draw Saturday could give jockey Chantal Sutherland options, as the horse could show the way or track sharp debut winner Dreaming of Kona.

“He’s fast,” Delgado said of Super Chow. “Chantal knows the horse pretty well. She started breezing the horse when he got to the barn, has done a magnificent job with him. We’ll let her decide what she wants to do with that post position and go from there.”

Sutherland was aboard Super Chow when he debuted in July with a victory in a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park. From there, the horse ran third in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special in New York before the wins at Pimlico and Keeneland.

“He loves what he does, loves the races,” Delgado said. “The next day after the race, he wants to run again. He definitely loves what he does. He’s ready to run Saturday.”

Super Chow is a son of Lord Nelson who races for Lea Farms.

Shaq Diesel will get good support off a $25,000 starter allowance win at Gulfstream in October for which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 79. It’s the best career number in the Inaugural. He, too, is looking for his third straight win as he won a $50,000 maiden claiming race one start prior, also at Gulfstream.

Jose Batista has the mount from post 2 for trainer Renaldo Richards.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. sends out Knox, who was third in the In Reality last out at Gulfstream, and Apocalypso, who was third there in the Affirmed.

◗ In the Sandpiper, Lady Radler enters off a second-place finish in the Myrtlewood at Keeneland. She is out of a Group 2-winning mare, Sally Bowles, who has produced a Grade 3 winner in Consumer Credit. Antonio Gallardo has the mount for Mellon Patch Inc. and trainer Mike Campbell.

Dorth Vader won the Juvenile Fillies Sprint last out at Gulfstream Park.

Final Episode is a half-sister to R Sassy Lass, who is a past winner of the Sandpiper.

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