Morning Line tops Carter; Bay Shore, Comely also featured on Wood undercard

Morning Line tops Carter; Bay Shore, Comely also

featured on Wood undercard

Morning Line just missed when making his Grade 1 debut in the

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, finishing second by a head, and claimed runner-up

honors once again when making his second attempt at the level in the Donn H.

(G1) last out. On Saturday, the four-year-old colt figures to go favored in his

pursuit of Grade 1 glory when he lines up for the $250,000

Carter H.

at Aqueduct. The seven-furlong event will feature a field of 12 sprinters and is

part of a strong Wood Memorial undercard that also includes the $200,000, Grade

3

Bay

Shore and $150,000, Grade 3

Comely.

Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito still hasn't fully gotten over Morning Line's

loss last fall in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

"That Breeders' Cup Mile was insane," Zito said. "That other horse that won

(37-1 last-to-first winner Dakota Phone [Zavata]) ran the best race of his life.

I am frustrated. We did all the running."

The heartbreaking defeat began a three-race pattern in which Morning Line did

all the work up front only to be overtaken by a stretch runner in the final

stages. He opened 2011 with a third in the one-mile, Grade 3 Hal's Hope and recorded

a good second in the 1 1/8-mile Donn after dueling through wicked early splits

in :46 3/5 and 1:10 2/5. He was removed from consideration from the 1 1/4-mile

Dubai World Cup following the latter, and Morning Line will continue to

be pointed toward shorter events this spring/summer like the Grade 1 Met Mile on

May 28.

Morning Line still figures to be a principal pace player in Saturday's

cutback in trip. He worked a half-mile in :47 2/5 on March 31 at Gulfstream, and

Zito expects a strong run.

"Absolutely. The horse has a tremendous heart, as you can imagine," said

Zito, who was happy to draw outside in post position 10. "The Breeders' Cup

(Dirt) Mile, the Donn -- he never ceases to amaze me. He is a terrific, terrific

horse."

Regular rider John Velazquez will guide the 5-2 favorite on the morning line.

Apriority and Calibrachoa are both serious

threats. Apriority reeled off three straight wins for trainer David Fawkes

before shipping west to miss by only a head in his stakes bow, the January 29

Sunshine Millions Sprint at Santa Anita. The four-year-old colt rebounded from

that setback with a spectacular 4 1/2-length decision over allowance/optional

claiming rivals at Gulfstream Park on March 5, earning a 109 BRIS Speed rating

while turning 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14 2/5. Luis Saez will be up from Florida to

ride.

Calibrachoa turned out to be a very savvy claim for $40,000 by owner Mike

Repole last November, reeling off three straight victories over stakes rivals

for his new connections. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt scored by 1 1/2 lengths

in the December 18 Gravesend and followed with a half-length decision in the

Grade 3 Toboggan on January 22. In the Grade 3 Tom Fool on March 5, he netted a career-best

106 BRIS Speed rating for an impressive 4 1/2-length tally. The four-year-old

will stretch out to seven furlongs for the first time and keep Ramon Dominguez

in the saddle.

"The Carter is obviously a tougher assignment than what he's been in,"

Pletcher said of Calibrachoa, who has rallied from off the pace in his three

stakes wins. "A lot of high-quality horses are shipping in. It's the logical

next step based on what he's been doing."

Repole/Pletcher have also entered Have You Ever as strictly

a pacesetter for Calibrachoa.

Richard Dutrow has a trio of uncoupled entrants in Laysh Laysh Laysh, Be

Bullish and Yawanna Twist. Laysh Laysh

Laysh was stakes-placed at three in 2008, but he dropped down to the claiming

ranks before finding his best form this winter at Laurel Park, recording a

victory in the Native Dancer S. and a neck second in the Grade 2 General George.

Cornelio Velasquez rides.

Be Bullish has won two straight stakes since being claimed for $35,000 three

starts back on January 28, posting a 1 3/4-length score over state-breds in the

February 21 Hollie Hughes S. and a one-length victory versus open rivals in the

April 1 Mr. Nasty S.  He notched a career-best 105 BRIS Speed rating in the

latter and wheel back on eight days rest with Junior Alvarado. Yawanna Twist

finished second in the Gotham and Illinois Derby before recording a

very respectable fourth in the Preakness. After being sidelined the rest of

his sophomore season, he returned this year with an easy win at seven furlongs

over allowance/optional claiming rivals at Gulfstream Park. The bay colt came up

short in second as the heavy favorite in the restricted Kings Point H. at nine

furlongs last out, but Yawanna Twist figures to appreciate the cutback to a

one-turn distance Saturday.

Multiple Grade 2 victor Kensei can't be overlooked after

opening 2011 with a good second to Misremembered in the March

6 Santana Mile S. at Santa Anita. Edgar Prado will regain the mount on the Steve

Asmussen shipper. Sunrise Smarty will make his graded stakes

debut for Gary Contessa following a sharp five-length score over allowance

rivals at the Big A on February 26.

Complete the field are outsiders Fastus Cactus, More Than a Reason and

Independence War.

The Bay Shore attracted a field of eight three-year-olds, including J J's

Lucky Train and Smoke It Right, who exit stakes

win at Laurel Park and Oaklawn Park, respectively. However, maiden winner Buffum has been installed as the 5-2 favorite on the morning line in the

seven-furlong test.

The Bay Shore is a homecoming for Godolphin's Buffum, who finished fifth in

the UAE Two Thousand Guineas over Meydan's all-weather track on

February 10 in his lone start as a sophomore. In his two previous efforts, the

$1.2 million yearling purchase was fifth and last in the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct

in November following a narrow maiden score at Belmont Park in October.

"He's been at Belmont with Henry Spiller the past three days after coming out

of quarantine in Newburgh, (New York)," said Rick Mettee, assistant to trainer

Saeed bin Suroor. "He trotted the first two days and galloped this morning. He

was first on the also-eligible list for the UAE Derby, and he was fit and ready

to run. You might think a mile might be a bit better for him, but seven furlongs

is good for his first start back."

David Cohen will be back aboard Buffum.

The one-mile Comely for three-year-old fillies drew seven runners, including

inner-track stakes winners Ava K. and R Holiday Mood. New

York-bred Ava K. is unbeaten in three career starts, including a three-length

romp in the restricted Proud Puppy S. on March 11. R Holiday Mood made her

stakes debut a winning one in the March 13 Outruled, scoring by a neck in wire

to wire fashion. Her Smile ships in from Florida off a third in the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs.