Trainers mull options for 3-year-olds in weekend stakes action

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Seven 3-year-olds were entered Monday for Friday’s $100,000 Curlin Stakes at Saratoga, but expect a shorter field than that come post time.

The Curlin is one of four stakes in the region for 3-year-olds over a three-day period, and several horsemen will be entering their horses in more than one race this weekend.

Trainer Todd Pletcher entered Stanford and Tommy Macho in both the Curlin and Saturday’s $750,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer. Trainer Tony Dutrow entered Tekton in those same two races and said he plans to enter that horse in Saturday’s Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy at Saratoga and Sunday’s $1 million Haskell Invitational as well.

Tekton, a son of Bernardini, is coming off a head loss to Mr. Jordan in the Grade 3 Pegasus, which followed a 10 3/4-length win at Pimlico on May 21.

“I just want to give him a try at something good because he’s sitting on a big one,” Dutrow said Monday at Saratoga. “If he ain’t good enough, he ain’t good enough.”

Stanford, coming off a win in the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth on July 11, could go to West Virginia, where Pletcher is definitely going to run Madefromlucky, the Peter Pan winner.

On Sunday at Saratoga, Stanford worked four furlongs in 48.32 seconds in company with Competitive Edge, who is going to be entered in the Haskell against Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Tommy Macho, third in the Grade 3 Dwyer, is likely to run in the Curlin against Smart Transition, fourth in the Dwyer, and Unrivaled, a Parx shipper. Battle Midway, fourth in the Long Branch, and King of New York, fourth in the American Derby on turf, were supplemented to the Curlin, which will go as race 4 on Friday’s 10-race card.

Meanwhile, entries for Saturday’s Jim Dandy will be taken on Wednesday. Expected to run are Frosted, the Wood Memorial winner and Belmont Stakes runner-up; Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red; Florida Derby winner Materiality; Japan; and Frammento.

Upstart, the Holy Bull Stakes winner, is under consideration for both the Jim Dandy and Haskell and will likely be entered in both races.

Curalina pointed to Alabama

Curalina came out of Sunday’s Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks in good shape and will point to the Grade 1 Alabama on Aug. 22.

Curlina finished second to I’m a Chatterbox in the $300,000 Coaching Club, but was elevated to first by the stewards when I’m a Chatterbox came out and bumped her late.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said Curalina didn’t have any blemishes from the race – her fourth win in as many starts this year – and will aim for the Alabama.

Trainer Larry Jones said after the race he plans to bring both I’m a Chatterbox and Kentucky Oaks winner Lovely Maria back for the Alabama.