Three for Me looks like horse for course in allowance
ELMONT, N.Y. – Steve Klesaris claimed Three for Me for $25,000 about a year ago, thinking the gelding would be a useful turf horse. It took several months, but Klesaris was proven correct.
In six starts on turf since that claim, Three for Me has three wins, a second, and a third and has earned $131,114. On Sunday, Three for Me, a New York-bred 4-year-old by Frost Giant, will seek his fourth win for Klesaris when he competes in a seven-furlong, first-level, open-company allowance that serves as the feature on Belmont Park’s 10-race program.
Klesaris claimed Three for Me last Oct. 24, when the gelding finished second in an off-the-turf race at Belmont. After three tries on dirt, Three for Me was freshened for the turf season. He won a New York-bred allowance going 1 1/16 miles at Aqueduct in April, but his forte has been sprinting.
“Six or seven furlongs is his gig,” Klesaris said.
Belmont Park is his favorite venue. He has a record of 2-2-0 from six starts here, and he is a nose away from having won his last three over the Belmont grass.
Javier Castellano will ride Three for Me from post 3.
Speeding Comet has a 1-2-1 record from four starts at Belmont. Rootformejustin has a win and a fourth in two career starts, while Battle Red comes off a gate-to-wire win going a mile at Saratoga in his last start.
Key contenders
Three for Me (Last 3 Beyers: 85-82-80)
* The only time he was out of the money in six turf starts was a fourth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths by the front-running Summer Breezing, going a mile over a very firm Saratoga turf course.
“He gives an honest effort every time he runs,” Klesaris said. “If he’s not one-two, he’s right there. He had a troubled trip at Saratoga when he was fourth. He got away a little slow. The time he was third, he got run down by a pretty established horse [Readtheprospectus].”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Three for Me. Trainer Steve Klesaris is 17-1-5-2 with a $0.70 ROI over the past five years in turf sprints with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Speeding Comet (Last 3 Beyers: 86-79-70)
* Despite the addition of blinkers last time, he broke slowly but took advantage of a hot pace to come running and finish second, beaten a half-length.
* He also broke slowly when beaten a length going seven furlongs here in July.
* Gets the services of leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr.
Rootformejustin (Last 2 Beyers: 83-74)
* He was outfinished by Speeding Comet when that horse was second, and he was fourth in his first try against winners after winning a maiden race 15 days earlier at Saratoga.
“I don’t know if he’ll really stretch out, but I think the seven-eighths will help – a little more ground in front of him,” said trainer John Terranova. “He ran great last time. He was coming. The turf course was very firm. It was hard to run them down.”