TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS
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SHAKERTOWN S. (G3), 6TH-KEE, $100,000, 3YO/UP, 5.5FT, 3:58 P.M. EDT, 4-16 |
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| PP | HORSE | TRAINER | JOCKEY | WT |
| 1 | RELAUNCH STAR | SIMON CHARLES | SMITH M E | 119 |
| 2 | MIGHTY BEAU | MULLINS JEFF | GOMEZ G K | 121 |
| 3 | CHOSEN CHIEF | BINDNER WALTER M JR | ALBARADO R J | 119 |
| 4 | SOARING FREE | FROSTAD MARK | BAILEY J D | 121 |
| 5 | RED LIGHTNING | THORNBURY JEFF | GRAHAM J | 119 |
| 6 | POMEROY | BIANCONE PATRICK L | PRADO E S | 119 |
| 7 | WRZESZCZ | AMOSS THOMAS F | MELANCON L | 121 |
| 8 | HECKLE | PLETCHER TODD A | VELAZQUEZ J R | 119 |
| 9 | BATTLE WON | SIMON CHARLES | BEJARANO R | 121 |
| 10 | PARKER RUN | FLINT STEVE | HERNANDEZ B J J | 119 |
| 11 | DEL MAR SHOW | LUKAS D WAYNE | STEVENS G L | 119 |
A full field of 11 will contest Saturday’s Shakertown S. (G3), a 5
1/2-furlong turf event at Keeneland. MIGHTY BEAU (Rainbow Prospect)
is in great form and is one of the few horses that is not using this race as
their first start of 2005. The gelding took a Santa Anita allowance last out,
going 6 1/2-furlongs over the Arcadia, California, grass, and has improved drastically since
switching to the Jeff Mullins barn last Fall. He easily rates our top selection.
SOARING FREE (Smart Strike) won this event last year but has been off since
running fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) last October. Still, the
six-year-old entered the Shakertown last year in the exact same way — just off
the board in the Breeders’ Cup and a five-month layoff — and won by 1 1/2
lengths. We’ll have to use the likely post-time favorite.
The Patrick Biancone-trained POMEROY (Boundary) enters off a lengthy layoff
as well but it is hard not to use such an accomplished sprinter, even if the
four-year-old has never tried the grass. We’ll have the bay in the top of the
gimmicks.
WRZESZCZ (Langfuhr) ran a career-best BRIS Speed rating of 106 last time when
taking the Taylor’s Special H. at Fair Grounds, a contest run over the
Shakertown distance and surface. The four-year-old has become a new horse since
conditioner Thomas Amoss switched the dark bay to the turf, where he shows a
record of 5-4-0-0. We’ll play him in the exotics.
Todd Pletcher will send out HECKLE (Hennessy), a lightly raced four-year-old.
The gray has had the best success when going short, but may be outclassed here.
Still, the colt has the hot trainer/jockey combo of John Velazquez and Todd
Pletcher. Your call.
Charles Simon’s charge, BATTLE WON (Honour and Glory), showed an affinity for
the Lexington, Kentucky, turf when taking the Woodford County S., also run over
the Shakertown distance. His connections then shipped him to Sha Tin for the Hong
Kong Sprint (HK-G1), where he finished eighth. That contest was in December, and
the gelding has not raced since. Based on that, we’ll have to go against. Hall
of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will saddle DEL MAR SHOW (Theatrical [Ire]) for
the Shakertown, but the eight-year-old may not be a Grade 3 horse anymore. We’ll
just watch for now.
CHOSEN CHIEF (Marquetry) finished second in this event last year but his
current form leads us to go against. RELAUNCH STAR (Opening Verse) is a class
below these. RED LIGHTNING (Storm Boot) may be outclassed in this one and we’ll
have to let the seven-year-old beat us. PARKER RUN (Glitterman) may be
ambitiously placed.
| TRACK BANDIT SELECTIONS: | 1st-MIGHTY BEAU | |
| 2nd-SOARING FREE | ||
| 3rd-POMEROY |