Verifying faces many serious challengers in Perryville

The Brad Cox barn will be hoping Verifying runs better Saturday in the Perryville Stakes than his recent work partner Punchbowl ran Wednesday in a Keeneland allowance race.

Punchbowl, making her first start since finishing second in the Ashland Stakes, was fourth at odds of 1-2, and Verifying is an even-money shot on the morning line for the $250,000 Perryville Stakes.

Restricted to 3-year-olds, the Perryville is carded for seven furlongs on dirt and drew a six-horse field. Short price aside, Verifying faces a serious horse from California, Dr. Venkman; an unbeaten Maryland-bred, Post Time; the Keeneland-based Raise Cain, beaten a nose by Verifying in the Indiana Derby; and Confidence Game, whose last start came in the Kentucky Derby. Loyal Company, who has an outside win chance himself, completes the field.

:: Bet Keeneland with confidence! Get DRF PPs, Picks and more.

Verifying’s task is complicated by his rail draw. The colt has not led early in a race since his career debut 14 months ago at Saratoga, but an absence of true Perryville pace could force jockey Flavien Prat and Verifying to the front. By Justify, Verifying finished 16th in the Derby, was beaten by Disarm in the Matt Winn, and eked out a victory over Raise Cain in Indiana. While Cox was excited about cutting the colt back to one turn, Verifying was only good, far from great, finishing a well-beaten second Aug. 26 in the seven-furlong Allen Jerkens at Saratoga, a race marred by the homestretch breakdown of New York Thunder, who was on his way to an easy win. While the Jerkens was contested over a wet track, Verifying earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure on sloppy going in the Matt Winn.

Verifying has raced seven times this year and already has a graded stakes win on his résumé. His appearance in an ungraded race this late in the season makes the Perryville seem something like an afterthought, and Verifying is a short price worth trying to beat.

Confidence Game, 10th in the Derby, almost certainly needs more distance than seven furlongs to show his best. Post Time’s top speed figure of 84 won’t suffice here, but that number was earned in October of his 2-year-old season. Post Time didn’t race between a win Dec. 3 in the Maryland Juvenile and an allowance race Sept. 22 at Pimlico, but he won that second-level allowance with a last-to-first move while never getting into high gear. A moderate early pace would hurt Post Time, Sheldon Russell riding for trainer Brittany Russell, who has only one previous Keeneland runner.

Raise Cain has made eight starts this year, losing seven two-turn contests and winning the Gotham, a one-turn mile. Raise Cain cleared the maiden ranks a year ago with a sharp pace-pressing seven-furlong maiden win at Keeneland and is all but certain to appreciate Saturday’s shorter trip, though it’s fair to wonder how much gas remains in the tank of a horse who has been racing steadily since September 2022.

Dr. Venkman makes his stakes debut in the Perryville and looks ready for it. He has made but two starts, debuting with a 5 1/4-length Del Mar maiden win in July followed by a 5 1/2-length first-level allowance win Sept. 2. Dr. Venkman stalked the pace and finished with aplomb in both races, drawing clear under little pressure from his rider while earning Beyer Speed Figures of 94 and 91.

“We’re very excited about him,” said trainer Mark Glatt, who gives the mount to John Velazquez. “He’s kind of displayed superstar potential. Until he beats a stakes-quality field like he’s in against Saturday, you always have to pass that test, but we’re pretty confident.”

Dr. Venkman, by Ghostzapper, has galloped out like a horse who will get two turns. Glatt thinks he can and hopes to try during 2024. Now, Dr. Venkman just needs to get seven-eighths fast enough to win the Perryville.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.