|
|
Derby hopeful Khozan, comebacker Top Billing add spark to GP allowances
Big Family (Any Given Saturday) is the only other Triple Crown nominee in the race, and he must improve substantially off a seventh in the January 3 Spectacular Bid and a third in the January 24 Hutcheson (G3). Indeed, the Hutcheson was contested on the same day as Khozan's terrific maiden score, in a considerably slower time of 1:24 2/5. Two rivals were well beaten by Fountain of Youth (G2) entrants in recent allowances -- Global Positioning (Malibu Moon) was fifth to Khozan's stablemate Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid), while Bluegrass Luck (Bluegrass Cat) was third to Gorgeous Bird (Unbridled's Song). Natural Order (Munnings) was exposed in good company as a juvenile in England last year, but could prosper on the switch to dirt. Bought for $97,143 at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training sale, he makes his U.S. debut for trainer Roy Lerman. Rounding out the short field is Cloverdale Nine (Sky Mesa), who just broke his maiden for a $100,000 tag. Later, the 10TH race marks the return of Top Billing, who was on the Derby trail at this time last year before injury struck. The Shug McGaughey trainee had gone last to first in an allowance over this same track and 1 1/16-mile trip, propelling himself into favoritism for the 2014 Fountain of Youth. Although third that day, Top Billing garnered great credit for rallying so well on a speed-favoring track. He was expected to keep progressing toward the Triple Crown, where his running style and stamina-laden pedigree would come in handy. Unfortunately, Top Billing fractured a cannon bone in a workout at Payson Park and had to undergo surgery. He returned to the worktab in mid-December, and is now ready for action, exactly one year to the day after his last race in the Fountain of Youth. Joel Rosario reunites with the four-year-old. "He's doing well," McGaughey said. "He's been training at Payson Park all winter. I've probably been up there every time he's breezed. "He got ready to run and I backed off of him a little," the trainer added. "I didn't breeze him the weekend before last. I breezed him back with (Hereditary) the other day, so it's a start back. It's been a year. He's been injured. We're tickled to have him back in, and we just hope we can get started and go from there." McGaughey also said that distance will not be a concern for his colt coming back from so much time off. In fact, he'd prefer the colt to go even longer. "If I had my preferences, it'd be a 1 1/8-mile to farther, but I don't, so I'm just glad he's back in and back to the races, and I'm looking forward to Sunday," he said. McGaughey stated that Top Billing has been a good patient but was definitely full of himself when working his way back from injury. He hopes that maturity is something that the colt will develop as he gets back on track with his racing career. "It's funny. When I got him as a two-year-old, he came with a bit of a reputation of being a big, good-feeling horse that would rear up and that kind of stuff, and we never had any kind of problem with him," McGaughey recalled. "Then we started him back this summer at Fair Hill, and they were telling me that he was being a bit of a handful. I was there one day when he did something and I had to change his routine a little bit, and he's been fine since then. I maybe would have liked him to mature just a little bit more, but being injured, maybe he was kind of taking care of himself a little bit and that kept him from it. Hopefully, that'll come with time." Unlike Khozan's allowance, Top Billing has a couple of salty competitors. Ghareeb (Tapit) romped by six lengths here in his first outing for George Weaver; the consistent Grade 3-placed Encryption (Exchange Rate) captured a Belmont allowance in his latest in October; and the old class horse Cash Rules (Peace Rules) makes his third start off a lengthy layoff for David Fawkes. Another comebacker worth a look is the Dale Romans-trained Tarpy's Surprise (Into Mischief), a full brother to multiple Grade 2 hero Vicar's in Trouble, who has been working sharply for his first start in nearly a year. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
