Lets Go Stable, WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's Daredevil (More Than Ready) makes his 3-year-old debut in today's GII Swale S., which was postponed one week due to very wet weather. A 6 1/4-length debut winner sprinting in the Belmont mud Sept. 13, the half-brother to GISW Albertus Maximus (Albert the Great) ran away from Upstart (Flatter) in the GI Champagne S. Oct. 4. He faded to 11th after a wide trip in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvnile Nov. 1, however. “I'm not really sure what happened,” trainer Todd Pletcher said of the last effort. “He got a wide trip on a track that probably wasn't playing that way, and he had had three races in a short period of time. He's a very talented horse. He showed that in his first two starts last year and he's come back and trained very well. He's a very efficient mover and just has a terrific action to him.”
Daredevil will break from the rail, and will likely be joined up front by Gelfenstein Farm's fleet-footed X Y Jet (Kantharos), who finished second in Tampa's Pasco S. Dec. 27 and again in Gulfstream's GIII Hutcheson S. Jan. 24–both at seven furlongs. “It will be the same plan,” Navarro said of tactics in the Swale. “He's doing amazing. The way he trained [Sunday], I was like, 'Wow.' Even the exercise rider jumped off and said 'He would have won the race.' He was great and happy so we'll be set for Saturday.”
Chalk Racing's Ready for Rye (City Zip) also has speed. The Tom Albertani pupil finished second to GII Tampa Bay Derby favorite Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway) on debut at Saratoga in September before romping by seven lengths in the Belmont slop Oct. 11 over a trio of next-out winners. He was second last time to Hutcheson winner Barbados (Speightstown) and ahead of next-out OBS Sprint romper It's Not Me (D'wildcat) in the local six-furlong Spectacular Bid S.
Six Column Stables, Randall Bloch and Phil Milner's Senor Grits (Elusive Quality) is a longshot who should be running late. Third behind the well-regarded duo of Cinco Charlie (Indian Charlie) and Majestic Affair (Majesticperfection) in Laurel's James F. Lewis III S. Nov. 15, the bay rallied smartly to defeat a next-out winner in a Tampa optional claimer Jan. 31.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.