Metaboss, Royal Son, Imperia among dozen in Spiral

El Camino Real Derby (G3) winner Metaboss (Street Boss) will take on John

Battaglia Memorial romper Royal Son (Tiznow), as well as rebound candidates

Imperia (Medaglia d'Oro) and Conquest Typhoon (Stormy Atlantic), in Saturday's

$550,000 Spiral S. (G3) at Turfway Park. The 1 1/8-mile Polytrack event offers a

total of 85 points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1), on a sliding scale of

50-20-10-5 to the top four finishers.

An overflow field of 15 signed on when entries closed Sunday, but with no

provision for also-eligibles, the Spiral field is set at a capacity 12.

According to Daily Racing Form's Byron King, the three excluded

were Pepper Roani (Broken Vow) and Milwaukee Mist (Milwaukee Brew), respectively

second and third to Royal Son in the Battaglia, and Saham (Lemon Drop Kid).

Metaboss has blossomed since stretching out to two turns. Best of the rest

behind Bolo (Temple City), the eventual Eddie Logan winner and San Felipe (G2)

third, in a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden, he has since won two straight over the

Spiral's nine-furlong distance. The Jeff Bonde trainee uncorked a visually

impressive turn of foot to break his maiden on the Santa Anita turf January 4,

and did the same to capture the February 14 El Camino Real Derby by 2 1/2

lengths on the Golden Gate Fields Tapeta. Hall of Fame rider Alex Solis will be

back aboard.

Conquest Typhoon was only third in the El Camino Real Derby, but the Mark

Casse pupil had a tough task while arguing the pace off a 2 1/2-month layoff.

His best performances have come from off the pace -- wins in the Summer S.

(Can-G2) at Woodbine and Cecil B. DeMille (G3) at Del Mar. Yet those came on

turf, and Conquest Typhoon is 0-for-3 on synthetic, including a second to

eventual Risen Star (G2) and Lecomte (G3) hero International Star (Fusaichi

Pegasus) in last fall's Grey S. (Can-G3). He could answer that stat under a more

typically patient ride by Hall of Famer Mike Smith.

Two Spiral entrants, Imperia and Another Lemon Drop, have been beaten by

International Star at Fair Grounds.

Imperia never got involved as the 3-5

favorite in the February 21 Risen Star, where he clunked up in fifth, and

trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has spotted him here in hopes of a resurgence. The

Godolphin colt has yet to race on synthetic, but he proved his turf proficiency

by breaking his maiden in the Pilgrim (G3), and earned dual surface credibility

when just missing to El Kabeir (Scat Daddy) in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2).

Imperia's also bred for versatility as a son of triple-surface threat Cocoa

Beach. Eligible to do better second off the bench, Imperia switches from Smith

to Joel Rosario.

The Philip Bauer-trained Another Lemon Drop likewise tries synthetic for the

first time. Fourth to International Star in the January 17 Lecomte, he reverted

to turf for the February 28 Black Gold and couldn't catch front-running 63-1

shot Tuba (Magna Graduate) as the even-money favorite. But Another Lemon Drop

will benefit from the added ground of the Spiral, having broken his maiden going

1 1/8 miles on the Keeneland turf in October.