Il’ Advised to Discount Chilean-bred in Poker

A handful of Chilean-bred horses have left a mark on racing in this country down the years–runners such as Lido Palace and Malek come immediately to mind–and Il Campione (Chi) (Scat Daddy) will try to join that group when he makes his U.S. debut in a loaded renewal of the GIII Poker S. at Belmont Park. 

Past performances from places like Club Hipico and Valparaiso aren’t always rich with information, but to have a look at the marginal comments would tell the story. The August foal–i.e. he won’t turn four until this summer–has won eight of his 10 career starts as ‘much the best’ and one of those losses came in the G1 Chilean St Leger, when he dumped his rider at the start of what was to be his lone dirt try to date. His victories have come by a combined 40 3/4 lengths and over distances as short as six furlongs up to a pair of Group 1 successes over a mile and a half. If there is a chink in the armor, it has not shown itself as yet. He’ll add Lasix for a barn that is exceptionally dangerous with its first-time imports. 

Long On Value (Value Plus), winner of the nine-furlong GII Twilight Derby on Breeders’ Cup weekend last fall, cut back to a mile and rolled home to score by 1 3/4 lengths in the GIII Canadian Turf S. at Gulfstream Feb. 21. Atypically sent to the front in the GI Maker’s 46 Mile over soft Keeneland turf Apr. 11, the Virginia-bred weakened late to finish third and could not overcome a high draw when last seen in the GII Dixie S. at Pimlico May 16, finishing four lengths behindIronicus (Distorted Humor) in fourth. 

Vyjack (Into Mischief) lands in a tough spot to try the grass for the first time, but has a few things to recommend him. For all his success on the main track–he is, after all, a multiple graded-stakes winner and Grade I-placed–he is out of a Stravinsky mare whose daughter Tepin (Bernstein), from the same Storm Cat sire line, won last weekend’s GI Just a Game S. on the Belmont S. undercard. It can also be argued that he is at his best at a one-turn mile, as evidenced by his upset of Itsmyluckyday (Lawyer Ron) in last year’s GII Kelso H., good for a career-best 103 Beyer. Vyjack makes his first start Saturday since being transferred to the barn of Bill Mott.