In fabulous form, FABULOUS STRIKE (Smart Strike) is all set for a
third straight run in the $400,000 Vosburgh (G1) on Saturday, according to
trainer Todd Beattie.
“He’s run it the last two years. He lost it in a (head) photo last year (to Black
Seventeen [Is It True]) when he flipped a shoe off and got beat in a photo. The year before,
he won it real easy,” said Beattie, who is based at Penn National.
The six-year-old gelding has 11 victories and more than $1.12
million in earnings from 16 starts at six furlongs. In his most recent outing,
he overhauled a blazing GO GO SHOOT (Songandaprayer) to win the Alfred G.
Vanderbilt (G1) on August 9 at Saratoga.
“Since the last race, it’s pretty status quo,” Beattie said. “It’s a long way
between races, and that’s what he likes. When he last won the Vosburgh, it was
off three months off.”
Fabulous Strike has finished first or second in nine of his past 10 starts
dating back to the 2007 Vosburgh. The lone off-the-board finish came last year
on an artificial surface in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita.
While still considering the Breeders’ Cup this year for Fabulous Strike,
Beattie said he might instead come back November 26 in the $100,000
Fall Highweight (G3) at Aqueduct.
“We have to get through the Vosburgh and make some decisions,” Beattie said.
Go Go Shoot, who at 15-1 led until the final stages of
the Alfred G. Vanderbilt, is ready for another shot at Fabulous Strike.
The four-year-old gelding had his final serious move for the
six-furlong race on Tuesday, going a half-mile in a bullet 47.86, fastest of 46
at the distance on Belmont Park’s training track.
“He’s doing great, and I’m excited about running him,” trainer Bruce
Levine said. “If you can’t get excited about that, you can’t get excited about
anything.”