Red' Returns in Dwyer

Texas Red (Afleet Alex), last year's impressive upset winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, makes his belated second start of the year after getting knocked off the Triple Crown trail due to a foot abscess. Third behind American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in Santa Anita's GI FrontRunner S. last September, the Keith Desormeaux pupil may have benefitted from the absence of that superstar when he easily bested MGISW Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway), next-out GII Holy Bull S. winner Upstart (Flatter), et al in the year-end championship event. He overcame a slow pace to finish a neck second in the GII San Vicente S. over seven panels in Arcadia Feb. 1, and shows a stamina-building worktab at that track during the month of June. 'TDN Rising Star' Speightster (Speightstown) puts his unbeaten record on the line while stepping up in class and trip. The WinStar homebred blitzed maidens by seven lengths going the 'about seven furlongs' distance of Keeneland's Beard Course first up Apr. 17, and earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure when clearing his first-level allowance condition at 6 1/2 furlongs here June 5. He hails from the deep female family of Dance Smartly, Smart Strike, etc., so a little more real estate shouldn't be a problem. Leading trainer Todd Pletcher finds himself well-armed for this affair, despite having won it “only” twice before, and will saddle two major contenders in Blofeld (Quality Road) andTommy Macho (Macho Uno). The former annexed both the GII Futurity S. and GII Nashua S. last year, but was a disappointing third at 4-5 in Churchill's William Walker S. Apr. 25. Paul Pompa, Jr. purchased a majority interest in Tommy Macho from All American Horses LLC after the bay ran on for third in a Gulfstream maiden for Roddy Rodriguez Feb. 21. The colt earned his diploma first-time Pletcher here May 2, and scored by daylight in a competitive GI Belmont S. day allowance at a sixteenth farther than this June 6.