Trainer Brad Cox last month won the Grade 3 Jockey Club Oaks with the 3-year-old filly Fionn, who in July captured the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational. Trainer Michael Stidham last month just missed winning the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby with Tom’s Magic. Both barns have reinforcements Saturday at Fair Grounds, where Stidham runs two in the $100,000 Woodchopper as does Cox in the $100,000 Pago Hop.
The 1 1/16-mile turf races offer a last chance for 3-year-old turf-route horses to run against their own age set. Cox entered Hear the Queen and Bracelet in the Pago Hop, restricted to fillies, while Stidham has Juris Doctor and Montador for the Woodchopper.
Montador worked Saturday at Turfway Park before shipping to Fair Grounds for the Woodchopper. The race lured just seven, an unusually small number of entrants for this race, and Savion holds a cross-entry in a first-level allowance.
The morning line reasonably lists Montador the 2-1 favorite, though Montador would be a shorter price – if he were in the Woodchopper at all – had he followed through with a menacing move Nov. 22 in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf at Churchill Downs.
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Montador made one start, on dirt, as a 2-year-old and has turned in five solid to strong turf showings since returning this summer from an 11-month break. After clearing his first allowance condition Nov. 2 at Churchill, Stidham ran the colt back 20 days later in the Commonwealth, where Montador in upper stretch had all sorts of momentum, looking like he might win. Instead, he went flat the final furlong and checked in fifth.
“I was kind of shocked that he flattened out when he did. I’m not really sure what went on there, but he came out of that race in fine shape and is doing good,” Stidham said.
Montador has run faster on a more glamorous circuit than Juris Doctor, but Juris Doctor, who only began his career in August and has raced four times, could have greater upside. That’s especially true if the addition of blinkers helps.
Even while winning a maiden race by 2 1/2 lengths in October at Laurel Park, Juris Doctor came through the homestretch with his head cocked to the right, looking around as much as applying himself. He did the same thing finishing a close second while facing older first-level allowance horses at Fair Grounds.
“We decided to just try them in the morning, and he really seemed to respond well to the blinkers. He was more forward and left the pole with more intention. I think they’re going to help,” Stidham said.
Chris Davis, who once worked for Stidham, sends Joejoe Go, a last-out Churchill turf allowance winner, from his Turfway Park base. Flying Mohawk, making his first start after undergoing emergency colic surgery over the summer, checked in 10th in the Commonwealth. He starts for the first time on Lasix.
The Pago Hop morning line has the Cox-trained Bracelet the 3-1 favorite among a field of nine – shorter than fair value on a filly drawn on the far outside and with no clear advantage.
Returning from a seven-month layoff to make her grass debut, Bracelet parlayed a perfect pressing trip into a Keeneland first-level allowance win in October, but the 91 Beyer Speed Figure she earned Nov. 28 in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere could overrate her chances Saturday. Bracelet got another favorable trip in the Mrs. Revere, though, to be fair, the three who beat her would be favored in the Pago Hop.
Cox’s second, Hear the Queen, also benefited from good racing luck Nov. 23 at Churchill, winning a first-level turf allowance in her fourth try at the class level.
Caviar Breakfast, one of two Pago Hop fillies trained by Kenny McPeek, is one of three Pago Hop starters coming out of the Mrs. Revere, where she not only ran better than Sea To Sky, who finished one place behind her in sixth, but also Bracelet. Caviar Breakfast had pressed or stalked the pace in her six previous starts, but in the Mrs. Revere was guided straight to the rail after breaking from post 9. She wound up 10th of 10 in the early and middle stages before finishing considerably faster than anyone else.
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“She probably just needs to stalk the pace,” said McPeek, who gives the mount back to his go-to jockey, Brian Hernandez Jr.
The McPeek-trained Unmerited Favor got an even lousier trip in Fionn’s Jockey Club Oaks, where she was held up in last, several lengths behind her nearest rival, through a tepid tempo. Like Caviar Breakfast, Unmerited Favor came with a strong stretch charge, galloping out well in front, and like Caviar Breakfast her run came too late. Unmerited Favor has raced 9 1/2 furlongs or longer in her last three starts but can get up at 1 1/16 miles Saturday with a strong enough pace in front of her – and by sticking a little closer to it.
“It’s the last 3-year-old race of the year,” McPeek said. “The distance is a little short for her. I think she’ll be fine.”
The morning line lists Unmerited Favor, Jose Ortiz riding, at 6-1, a price that also would be fine.
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