Baker’s Dozen for the Commonwealth Turf

A wildly competitive group of 13 sophomore males will face the starter in Friday’s GIII Commonwealth Turf, and while Saham (Lemon Drop Kid) could in fact go off favored at something around his morning line of 4-1, he is anything but a sure thing.

Winner of the restricted Crowd Pleaser H. at Parx July 25, the dark bay was fourth in the Sept. 9 Centaur S. at Indiana Grand before charging home late to take this track’s GIII Jefferson Cup S. by 3/4 of a length Sept. 26. That effort was flattered when the runner-up Watchyourownbobber (Hard Spun), wired the field in the Showing Up S. at Gulfstream West, earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure. Saham most recently bridged the better part of a 15-length deficit to be second in the GIII Hawthorne Derby Oct. 17–with Nun the Less (Candy Ride {Arg} third–remarkably recording his fifth consecutive 88 Beyer. He’s in with a chance, but probably needs to elevate his game by a length or two.

A two-time winner in seven tries on the dirt, including a two-lifetime allowance at Ellis Park Aug. 1, Quality Bird (Quality Road) seems to have perked up with a switch to the infield. No better than a 45-1 chance in the aforementioned Centaur S., the Marylou Whitney homebred came from the latter half of the field to finish third, a nose behind Granny’s Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) and just ahead of Saham. The bay most recently rocketed past most of his Keeneland allowance foes in the final quarter of a mile for a 1 1/4-length victory and he could get the right set-up from his low draw.

Nucifera (More Than Ready), Group 3-placed at two in France for trainer Jonathan Pease, made a decent impression in his U.S. debut in the Better Talk Now S. at Saratoga, running on belatedly late to finish third. Given a crack in the GIII Hawthorne Derby last time, the homebred fell three-eighths of a mile from home, but walked off under his own power, and Graham Motion sees fit to take another swing here. Click for the TJCIS PPs.