Trikari looks to revert form at winning course and distance
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The last time Trikari ran 1 3/16 miles on turf at Aqueduct, he won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby. That was in July 2024, a year in which Trikari won 4 of 8 starts, including three graded stakes.
The next time Trikari runs 1 3/16 miles on turf at Aqueduct, it will be Friday in a multi-conditioned allowance race as the $1.39 million earner looks to get back on track in a 4-year-old season that has not gone according to plan.
Trikari, trained by Graham Motion for Amerman Racing, is winless in three stars this year. He began the year with a third behind top miler Carl Spackler in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland. That was followed by a ninth-place finish as the 7-2 favorite in the Grade 3 Dinner Party at Pimlico and a third-place finish as the 4-5 choice in the Prince George’s County Stakes on June 28 at Laurel.
Motion said he was pleased enough with Trikari’s 4-year-old debut and said the turf at Pimlico was too soft for Trikari in the Dinner Party. Following the Prince George’s County Stakes, Motion said Trikari had an undescended testicle removed and he has seen improvement in his training.
“I feel like he’s doing great,” Motion said. “He trains, to me, like he was last year, more so than perhaps he was in the spring, so whether that fixed him, I don’t know, but he seems to be in great form and this is the right kind of spot to bring him back in.”
Motion said he was fortunate that John Velazquez, who has ridden Trikari in six of his last seven starts, is in New York to ride him Friday. Velazquez was originally scheduled to be at Keeneland that day, Motion said.
Trainers Chad Brown and Mark Casse both have two horses entered in this spot. Brown sends out Activist Investing and Catch a Wave, while Casse has entered Dear Dad and Strong Quality.
Activist Investing has finished second in all three of his starts this year, including a 1 1/2-length defeat behind repeating winner Then going this distance Aug. 23 at Saratoga. Prior to that, Activist Investing finished second behind Rhetorical going 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga. Rhetorical has come out of that race to win the West Point Stakes for New York-breds and the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland.
Catch a Wave has run just twice this year, finishing second in this condition going 1 1/2 miles on June 28 at Aqueduct before finishing fourth in the same condition at Saratoga.
Strong Quality is seeking his first win on turf since he captured the $100,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley Stakes at Fair Grounds in January 2024. Dear Dad, who won under second-level allowance conditions at Colonial in August, is running for the optional $75,000 claiming condition on Friday. He nearly wired the field going a mile here Sept. 27.
Vesting, trained by Mike Maker, won a 1 1/2-mile allowance race here on the front end in June. Dominican Pioneer, 0 for 6 going back to September 2023, completes the field.
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