AMERICA ALIVE (American Chance) and HONOR IN WAR (Lord at War [Arg]), two of
the past three winners of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1), will square
off under the Twin Spires in Sunday’s $150,000 River City H. (G3), but neither
will carry top weight in the 1 1/8-mile turf affair. That honor goes to FORT
PRADO (El Prado [Ire]), who will head to the starting gate with a 120-pound
impost.
Trained by Chris Block, Fort Prado exits an allowance score at Keeneland and
finished second by a neck in the Robert F. Carey Memorial H. (G3) two starts
back. The gray four-year-old reeled off three straight stakes wins earlier this
season and will pick up the services of leading rider Rafael Bejarano for the
first time on Sunday.
America Alive won the Woodford Reserve by 1 3/4 lengths but wasn’t much of a
factor in his next four starts. The Neil Howard trainee did face top company in
those races, and the four-year-old colt recorded a confidence-building victory
in a Keeneland allowance most recently. Honor in War also exits a turf allowance
score in Lexington, Kentucky, his first tally since taking the 2003 Arlington H.
(G3). The six-year-old returned off a lengthy freshening last time and may
continue to show more for conditioner Paul McGee.
Defending River City champion G P FLEET (Northern Afleet) drew the rail under
a 117-pound weight assignment that includes Jesus Castanon. Next comes GALLO DEL
BAR (Chi) (Barkerville), Orlando Mojica, 113; Honor in War, David Flores, 117;
Fort Prado; ON THE ACORN (GB) (Inchinor [GB]), Mike Smith, 113; America Alive,
Robby Albarado, 119; SHANIKO (A.P. Indy), Brice Blanc, 116; and SEEKING ANSWERS
(Ire) (Shinko Forest), Mark Guidry, 114.