Sprint Diary

SPRINT DIARY

APRIL 8, 2005

by Jordan Strickler

SARATOGA COUNTY (Valid
Expectations) secured his spot as a top sprinter on March 26 when becoming the latest winner of the world’s richest sprint race, the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1).
Trained by George Weaver, the four-year-old colt had to survive an objection by PICO CENTRAL’s
(Brz) (Spend a Buck) jockey, Alex Solis, but the stewards let
the result stand and Saratoga County picked up the winner’s purse of $1.2
million.

Although Pico Central finished out
of the money in fourth, he gave an excellent account of himself and showed
that he is still one of the best
sprinters in the world. After being checked inside the final furlong, the
six-year-old regained his momentum to finish full of run. He would have landed
on the board and perhaps challenged for the win with a clean trip.

A pair to watch in this weekend’s seven-furlong Carter H. (G1)
at Aqueduct are DON SIX (Wild Escapade) and FOREST DANGER (Forestry). Don Six
comes off a nose loss to Saratoga County in the General George H. (G2) on
February 21. Since then, trainer Scott Lake has put him through two bullet
works, and the five-year-old looks extremely solid entering this weekend.

Forest Danger broke his maiden in his career debut, defeating
eventual Richter Scale Breeders’ Cup Sprint Championship H. (G2) winner Sir Shackleton (Miswaki), and
then captured his next two, including a 7 1/2-length romp in the Bay Shore S.
(G3). In his only outing of this year, Forest Danger crushed optional-claiming
foes by 9 1/2 lengths and looks very good coming into this race for conditioner
Todd Pletcher.

In other sprinting news, HARVARD AVENUE (You and I) recorded his
first win this year when taking the Potrero Grande Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) on
Sunday. He made a nice turnaround from his 2005 debut when he came home seventh after
being steadied in the stretch of the San Fernando Breeders’ Cup (G2).

SILENT WITNESS (El Moxie) earns kudos for his 16th consecutive
victory, which came in Sunday’s Chairman’s Sprint Prize (HK-G1) at Honk Kong’s Sha Tin Racecourse.
The prolific Hong Kong-based sprinter equaled the feats of North American record
setters Cigar, Citation and Hallowed Dreams.