SUNRIVER (Saint Ballado), a Grade 2 winner on the main track, will try to add
a turf stakes to his resume in Sunday’s $150,000 Bowling Green H. (G2). The Todd
Pletcher charge will face seven seasoned turf rivals in the 1 3/8-mile contest
at Belmont Park.
A full brother to dual champion and $3.9 million earner Ashado, Sunriver was
a promising three-year-old on the Triple Crown Trail last season. The dark bay
captured the Peter Pan S. (G2) and finished third in both the Florida Derby (G1)
and Belmont S. (G1). He showed little in his first two starts of 2007, however,
and Pletcher decided a surface switch may help to rekindle his enthusiasm.
Making his turf debut in an allowance/optional claimer at Belmont, Sunriver
controlled the pace before exploding to a 4 1/2-length score in a sharp 1:46 4/5
for 1 1/8 miles. Now back at the top of his game, he will attempt to duplicate
that performance against graded stakes company. Garrett Gomez picks up the
mount.
SHAKIS (Ire) (Machiavellian) has also turned his form around recently. The
seven-year-old veteran was an ordinary handicapper in Dubai, and in his prior
European career, he could manage no better than placings at the Group 3 level.
Since transferring to Kiaran McLaughlin two back, Shakis has been transformed.
After rallying strongly to land an allowance/optional claiming event in his U.S.
debut, he uncorked a similar late charge to finish third in the Manhattan,
beaten a total of a head by Better Talk Now (Talkin Man) and English Channel
(Smart Strike). The dark bay will reunite with jockey Alan Garcia as he tries to
break through with his first career stakes win.
Other major contenders include multiple Grade 2 winner DREADNAUGHT (Lac
Ouimet), who just missed in the Sussex S. last time out; Grade 3 victor SILVER
WHISTLE (Alphabet Soup), who got up for second to Sunriver while making his 2007
bow; French Group 3 scorer BARASTRAIGHT (GB) (Barathea [Ire]), exiting a fourth
in an allowance/optional claimer in his American debut; and FISHY ADVICE
(Woodman), who chalked up his fourth stakes victory in the Battlefield S. in his
latest venture.
TRIPPI’S STORM (Trippi) will lead the post parade beneath a 114-pound impost
that includes jockey Javier Castellano. Next will come Dreadnaught, Cornelio
Velasquez, 116; Sunriver, 116; Barastraight, Fernando Jara, 114; Shakis, 117;
Fishy Advice, Eibar Coa, 117; Silver Whistle, Kent Desormeaux, 115; and
INTERPATATION (Langfuhr), Channing Hill, 114.