Delta Jackpot J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

Friday night's $1 million Delta Jackpot S. (G3) should be a terrific wagering

event. A competitive field of 10 two-year-olds will line up for the two-turn, 1

1/16-mile race, and we're going to take a flyer with recent maiden winner ICE

MAN COMETH (Trippi), who ships in from Aqueduct for trainer Richard Violette Jr.

Ice Man Cometh broke slowly and was out of the picture before closing quickly

to finish fourth, beaten just a half-length, in his debut at Saratoga. In his

next start, he broke better and chased the pace along the inside, angled out

momentarily, then dove toward the rail in upper stretch, finishing with

interest for runner-up honors in the sloppy NATC Futurity at Monmouth Park. Most

recently, the bay colt broke alertly to the lead and cruised to an 8 1/2-length

victory over maidens at Aqueduct on October 25. Ice Man Cometh has shown

improvement in each of his three starts and recently worked one mile in New

York. He has the look of a live longshot at 15-1 on the morning line beneath

Rafael Bejarano.

XCHANGER (Exchange Rate) closed determinedly to win the Sapling S. (G3), then battled a fierce headwind while attending the pace from the

outside before finishing a non-threatening sixth in the Champagne S. (G1). The Mark Shuman-trained colt rallied on the outside before

finishing third in the Nashua S. (G3) in his last start and may be

able to work out a ground-saving stalking trip from the rail under regular rider

Joe Bravo. He is a good one to use in the vertical exotics at a square price.

The Bob Baffert-trained MALT MAGIC (Cherokee Run) was a romping 9 1/2-length

maiden winner around two turns at Del Mar, then attended the early running

before faltering in the Norfolk Breeders' Cup S. (G2). In his most recent

outing, the dark bay colt forced the early issue from the outside and was

essentially eased in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). Malt

Magic has been burning up the track since the Breeders' Cup, working six

furlongs in a bullet 1:11 on November 14, six furlongs out of the gate in a

bullet 1:10 4/5 on November 20 and four furlongs in a bullet :46 3/5 last

Saturday. He is a dangerous front runner with an inside draw but probably won't

be anywhere near his morning-line odds of 20-1.

OFFICER ROCKET (GB) (Officer), the dead-heat winner of the

Arlington-Washington Breeders' Cup Futurity (G3), finished a distant fifth in

the Iroquois S. (G3) last out. Trainer Bob Holthus said the

chestnut displaced his soft palate in the Iroquois and has since undergone a myectomy. Officer

Rocket worked six furlongs in 1:11 4/5 on November 22 and will have to revert

to his previous form to factor here. BIRDBIRDISTHEWORD (Pure Prize) is

two-for-two on the turf and exits a good fourth-place effort in the Breeders'

Futurity (G1) on Polytrack at Keeneland. In his only dirt start, the Kenny

McPeek trainee finished fifth to Officer Rocket, beaten 12 1/4 lengths, in his

debut at Arlington Park. Birdbirdistheword, the 3-1 favorite on the morning

line, and Officer Rocket, the 7-2 second choice, could both go forth at underlaid odds.

Another Baffert trainee, PIRATES DEPUTY (Bertrando), was a fast-closing

second to FREESGOOD (Free House) in the restricted California Cup Juvenile S. on

October 28 at Oak Tree. The dark bay has been training sharply since then and is

worth a second look at a price under Garrett Gomez. Freesgood defeated fellow

California-breds in his last two starts, but will get

tested for class with these. Note that he began his career for a $40,000 tag.

GO POPPA FOOZE (Exciting Story) won the local prep for this race, the

one-mile Jean Lafitte S., in front-running fashion by a widening nine lengths.

He figures to vie for the early lead but is hard to recommend at 9-2 on the

morning line. SCATTER THE TAK (Mutakddim) has yet to finish out of the money in

three career starts on Polytrack at Woodbine. He will make his first start for

trainer Scott Blasi but could be a cut below some of these.

MISTYCAL LIGHT (Festival of Light) was all out to defeat first-level

allowance foes on November 16 at Laurel Park. He would be a surprise.