5/23/2020

1 MTH    The Salvator Mile (GIII)

   $150.000    3yo&Up    1m  Dirt            3yo 117lbs  Older 124 lbs  +penalties

Off to the Jersey shore and beautiful MTH racetrack for the historical Salvator Mile (GIII).  We get a nice field of ten for a race that was once controlled by Australia Wide, who won the race four consecutive years with such HOF worthy horses as Whats Up and Madhouse.  I really don’t see any of these being mentioned in the same breath as those champions, but it’s a great group and looks to be fairly wide open.  I’ll take Long Time Ago as my top choice today.  He was fifth last out but CT can be a tough spot and I’ll overlook at that effort.  If he can run back to that Hals Hope (GIII) win, he should be tough to get past.  I’ll put Hindenburg Tour in the second spot, even though he tired a bit at KEE last out finishing fourth against similar.  He closed out ’19 big and maybe he finds some of that form here today.  The weight factor could be huge as we have a couple of 3yo getting big swings in the saddle lead.

Here’s The Field –

It’s been quite a while since this one has seen the winner’s circle.  You have to go back to last April when he won the Bay Shore (GIII) at AQU.  Since then, he’s been close in a few graded events like The Peter Pan (GIII), The Cigar Mile (GI)… you get the idea.  He was sixth in his last two starts and I just have to overlook him in this group.

The big stable picked this one up two starts back for $90.000 and shows a pair of seconds at the Alw  level since that purchase.  Weight may be a key ingredient to the story here and he’s getting big weight concessions.  He’s never seen stakes company, but you never fault this stable or it’s plan, but this will be an acid test for the youngster with only a maiden win in his holster.

This trainer doesn’t let them rot in the stable as this one makes his sixth start of the season.  Nice Alw win at FG back in Mar for his only seasonal score, and had a pair of wins last season, breaking maiden and winning at the $35.000 claiming tag.  Pretty easy to tell that this is a step up in class off of a pair of thirds vs. Alw company.

Couldn’t get going at CT in the CT Classic (GII) last out, but that bull-ring can be tough if you aren’t built for it.  Two seasonal wins under his belt including the Hals Hope (GIII) at GP two back.  I look for him to run a big race here, getting a solid jock choice, a good post, good form… yeah, he should be tough.

Sold four races back and has a pair of wins and a pair of placings from those outings.  Logical step to go after some black-type for this one, and he’s held his own vs. the big boys showing a fourth in the Jerkins (GI) and a third in the SA Sprint Cup (GI).  They took the blinkers off for that last out win, so maybe they found a little extra…

Closed out ’19 with a pair of graded wins taking the Discover (GIII) and San Antonio (GII) and appeared ready to break out as a top handicap horse… and then 2020 happened.  Only a fourth place finish to show from three starts, but that last out Ali (GIII) at KEE did show some promise.  Is he ready to get back to that winter form and get his picture taken?

Claimed in back to back races, then had a fourth and a fifth in stakes company for this outfit.  Now it’s up to graded foes so I don’t think the road to the winner’s circle is going to get any easier for this one.  He was third in the Coolmore Lexington (GIII) last season, so some of that action could put him into the frey.

Shows three seconds and a win in the ’20 campaign and was a fast closing second in the Westchester (GIII) last out, going a flat mile.  That seems to be where he shoots most of his bullets and does a good job at it.  Eight wins from twenty-five lifetime starts, so he knows his way around the track.  He was a bargain claim and shows he still has something in the tank.

Two wins last season including the Victoria at WO, but has struggled since that win.  Steady menu of graded races but only a third in the Sham (GIII) where he showed to be any type of a threat.  Still, he certainly has some ability and probably just needs to be a bit closer to the pace in order to be in the middle of things. Another 3yo that will appreciate the weight swing.

Changed hands after that win n the Haynes where he took down NY-bred stakes horses and made it three-in-a-row.  Seven wins from twenty-one starts, so he knows how, was second over this track in The Iselin (GIII) last summer… he has a lot of up-side.  The post does him no favors, but he could be tough today if he gets a good trip.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES