Most have him pegged as a one turn closing sprinter.
Top of the pedigree and his 3yo route performances would seem to confirm this.
On the other hand there is some stamina on the bottom and his performance as a 2yo in the Dixiana Futurity at Keeneland going 8.5 was solid.It was on Polytrack but he did run some steady splits and closed fast:
24.58 24.10 24.20 24.78 last 1/16th in 5.66 if the math is correct.
Fast dirt form was solid in his first couple at Saratoga so I\'m not certain you can chalk his Derby Trial to a mud move up.
From what I\'ve read this is a big thick 3yo that needs a lot of conditioning.Don\'t think they expected much in the Holy Bull of the layoff and they didn\'t get it.He was up too close to the pace and backed out of there.Next out in the FOY should have been better but there was the trouble with Buddy\'s Saint exchanging body slams on the turn.
Then a seven week gap in between races and the dud at Keeneland where he ran well as a 2yo.I don\'t think it was the extra 1/16th of a mile that did him in there.Preakness will be his 3rd race of a cycle and his third effort in five weeks.Should be fit at this point.
Back running sprinter/miler or can he clunk up onto the board against a pretty weak bunch-several with distance questions to be answered as well?
YT looked like he was in quicksand the last 1/16th at Hawthorne.
SD never closed fast in any route race and Prospectors Gamble the dam sire.
Aikenite\'s race last year @ KEE looks better than it was as he was catching a horse that tends to tire in the stretch everytime...Other than that race he loses ground in all his route races..Can\'t see him at all..He is a toss from all slots in my tix.