DeFrancis returns home
Saturday’s $300,000 Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash S. (G1)
returns to Pimlico, where it was first run in 1990, as part of a
six stakes program that makes up the Fall Festival of Racing. The
six-furlong test has been contested at Laurel Park since 1991,
but that track is undergoing a massive renovation project.
Among those entered in the DeFrancis are the top three
finishers from last year, as well as the beaten favorite from the
Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).
A HUEVO (Cool Joe) shocked in last year’s race with a 1
3/4-length score in only his third start of the year. That would
also be his last, as the bay gelding went on the shelf until
early September of this season. His first start back in 2004
resulted in a seventh-place finish to MIDAS EYES (Touch Gold) and
CLOCK STOPPER (Gilded Time) in the Forego H. (G1), but the
eight-year-old veteran quickly rebounded with a dominating 19
1/4-length performance in the West Virginia Breeders’ Classic S.
at Charles Town last out.
Midas Eyes was sent off the 7-2 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup
Sprint, but finished 10th, beaten 5 1/2 lengths. Clock Stopper
did better than his rival in the Sprint, running sixth by 3 1/4
lengths, but has yet to post a stakes win this year. A Huevo and
Midas Eyes will each have to tote 123 pounds while Clock Stopper
will get a slight break at 119 pounds.
GATORS N BEARS (Stormy Atlantic), third in the DeFrancis in
2003, will share highweight duties of 126 pounds with multiple
Grade 3 hero CHAMPALI (Glitterman) and three-time Grade 2 victor
LION TAMER (Will’s Way).
The complete field for the DeFrancis, including riders and
weights, is Midas Eyes, Edgar Prado; A Huevo, Ramon Dominguez;
PHILADELPHIA JIM (Mr. Greeley), Jeremy Beasley, 119; Gators n
Bears, Javier Castellano; SHAKE YOU DOWN (Montbrook), Mike Luzzi,
123; Champali, Rafael Bejarano; Clock Stopper, Jerry Bailey;
WILDCAT HEIR (Forest Wildcat), Stewart Elliott, 119; ABBONDANZA
(Alphabet Soup), Abel Castellano Jr., 117; TRUE DIRECTION (French
Deputy), John Velazquez, 119; and Lion Tamer, Velazquez on double
call.
Also set for Saturday is the $100,000 Laurel Futurity
(G3),
which will send seven juveniles 1 1/16 miles. Multiple stakes
hero KILLENAULE (Fusaichi Pegasus) has the most experience in the
field, with a 4-3-1 record from eight starts. The Todd Pletcher
trainee will have Velasquez in the saddle.
Later on the card, the $100,000 Anne Arundel S. (G3) drew a
nice field of 12 sophomore fillies. Iowa Oaks (G3) queen HE LOVES
ME (Not for Love), third in the Gazelle H. (G1) two back, will
share top weight duties of 122 pounds in the nine-furlong
contest.
A stellar group of 10 will line-up in the $100,000 Charles H.
Hadry S., including Grade 1 winner GYGISTAR (Prospector’s Music)
and Grade 2 victor BOWMAN’S BAND (Dixieland Band), while eight
two-year-old fillies will go in the $100,000 Selima S. The
$50,000 Stefanita S. will feature nine distaffers.