Neck 'n Neck returns in Harlan's Holiday

Neck 'n Neck seemed poised to join Fort Larned among the

handicap elite in 2013 after closing out his three-year-old campaign with a

convincing triumph in the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap at Churchill Downs, one day

before his trainer, Ian Wilkes, saddled his more established stablemate for a

victory in the 2012 Breeders' Cup Classic.

A couple weeks later, unfortunately, Neck 'n Neck sustained

a career-threatening injury, a fractured sesamoid in his left front ankle. The

son of Flower Alley underwent surgery and, against the odds, returned to action

11 months later.

"It's always disappointing when you have a horse with so much

promise. But I'm very fortunate to get him back," Wilkes said. "It was a serious injury. But

they did a good job with the surgery and his recovery. The aftercare was great.

"You have to look at it a different way. Yes, it was disappointing,

but I'm lucky to have the horse back now."

With Fort Larned recently retired to

stallion duty at Adena Springs in Kentucky, Wilkes is hopeful that Neck 'n Neck

can become a force in the handicap ranks this season.

"He's got all the attributes to do that. He's got the

talent," stated Wilkes, whose four-year-old charge has won five races and $687,852 in purses. "He's won a Grade 2. He's just got to step up a

little bit more to be a Grade 1 horse."

Neck 'n Neck is scheduled to step back

into stakes company Sunday at Gulfstream Park for the $100,000 Harlan's Holiday.

The 1 1/16-mile stakes will be his second start back off the long layoff. In his

first start back, the Kentucky-bred came from well off the pace to

finish a close third in an Indiana Downs stakes on October 5.

"I was very pleased

that he came off such a long layoff and got beat by just a length," Wilkes said.

Neck 'n Neck had been targeted to run in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap

on November 29, but Wilkes was unable to find a prep race for the Churchill

Downs handicap.

"I wasn't going to take on Will Take Charge and Game on

Dude without a prep race," Wilkes explained, speaking of the horses who went on to finish 1-2

in the Clark.

The Harlan's Holiday is a traditional prep for the Grade 1, $500,000 Donn

Handicap at Gulfstream on February 8, but Wilkes hesitates to look ahead too

far in the future with Neck 'n Neck.

"We'll take it one race of a time," Wilkes

said. "We're starting off a new season with him. Let's take it one race at a

time and see if he comes out OK. Definitely, we'd like to look at the Donn."

Neck 'n Neck, who'll be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., drew the No. 1 post

position in a field of eight that includes a pair of rivals coming off

back-to-back victories -- Csaba and River Seven.

Csaba captured last year's Harlan's Holiday by

nearly four lengths, and is exiting a pair of victories at Calder since finishing

second in the Quality Road at Gulfstream on October 5, including the Grade 3

Fred W. Hooper Handicap.

"He obviously likes

this time of year," trainer Phil Gleaves said. "I'm looking forward to running

him on Sunday."

River Seven will seek his third straight stakes score after winning the Labeeb at Woodbine and

Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf at Churchill. The Harlan's Holiday will be only the second start on dirt for

the Johannesburg gelding, who finished second over the Fort Erie main track in the Prince of Wales, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

"I've always

wanted to try him again on dirt, even though he's won his last two on turf,"

trainer Nick Gonzalez admitted. "It's one of the reasons we brought him here: to run

him on dirt. He's always trained well over this racetrack. We've had this race

in our plans."

Bourbon Courage, who hasn't won since capturing the Grade 2 Super Derby in September 2012, figures to make a strong bid for victory in

the Harlan's Holiday after finishing a late-charging fourth in the Clark.

"He hasn't won for a while. I'd like to see the horse get

his confidence back," trainer Kellyn Gorder remarked. "It seems like he's in great

shape now. He's matured a lot mentally. We're hoping this is the year."

Rounding out the Harlan's Holiday field are Purple

Egg, a six-length winner of the Barbaro last out; Grade 3-placed multiple stakes

scorer Sr. Quisqueyano, who captured the Quality Road three back; Grade 1

runner-up and stakes hero Reveron; and multiple stakes-placed Joshua's Comprise.

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