Wolfson eyeing Indiana Derby or Kelso for Atreides

Atreides is likely headed for graded company next out (Leslie Martin/Adam Coglianese Photography) After reporting that undefeated Atreides has come out of his 17 1/2-length victory in last Saturday’s Monarchos at Gulfstream Park in good order, trainer Marty Wolfson said that the Stonestreet Stable homebred’s next start has yet to be decided. “We’re looking at all our options. We’re looking at Indiana or maybe the Kelso,” Wolfson said Thursday. “I don’t know. We’re not sure.” The Grade 2, $500,000 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand on October 4 and the Grade 2, $400,000 Kelso at Belmont Park on September 27 both have their pluses and minuses for Atreides, who has won his three starts at Gulfstream by a total of 25 3/5 lengths while registering three-straight 100-plus BRIS Speed figures. The Indiana Derby is restricted to three-year-olds, but the 1 1/16-mile distance isn’t deemed ideal by Wolfson. “Indiana is two turns,” he explained. “I hate to experiment two turns and ship. It’s just an option. (The Kelso) is logical. It gives us a month.”

The Kelso is a one-turn mile for three-year-olds and up.

“It’s a mile, but it’s against older horses. There aren’t many three-year-old
races. Any three-year-old races are around two turns,” Wolfson said. “The Kelso
is around one turn, which is really great.”

Atreides has performed in his brief three-race career like
a colt with considerably more seasoning, which could signal that he’s ready to
compete with older foes.

“Mentally, he is. Physically, I don’t know,” Wolfson admitted. “He came in with a great foundation from (Stonestreet
trainer) Ian (Brennan) in Ocala, but mentally, he’s very mature.”

The smooth-striding Atreides couldn’t have been more
impressive while scoring his open-lengths romp in the one-turn mile Monarchos.
Rating kindly off a sensible pace along the backstretch, the Kentucky-bred colt
swooped to the lead under his own power around the far turn and powered to a
dominating victory.

“He does it so easy. That’s the way it looked when he went :44-and-2 and
:56-and change in his first race. He didn’t look like he was running that fast,” Wolfson said.

The son of Medaglia d’Oro debuted at
six furlongs on July 12 with a 5 1/2-length victory in 1:08.69, just .57 seconds
off the track record set by champion Big Drama in 2011. The half-brother to
Grade 1 heroine Dreaming of Julia came right back to run 6 1/2
furlongs in 1:15 2/5 while scoring by three lengths on August 10.

Atreides is one of 29 winners ridden by Edgard Zayas during
the last nine racing days at Gulfstream Park. The 21-year-old jockey has ridden
at least two winners on each of the nine programs during a streak that includes
three four-win days, as well as a five-win performance.

Zayas has been aboard for all three of Atreides starts and has become increasingly impressed with the
colt.

“He’s really a great horse. He has a really beautiful
stride and a lot of ability,” Zayas said. “You feel like he’s galloping easy and
then you see the fractions — :22 and :44; he’s flying. But he relaxes. He’s not
crazy speed. He’s been improving race by race.”

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