By Christie DeBernardis
Team Valor and Gary Barber's Riker (Include) returns to the scene of his juvenile success for the first time since his victory in the local GIII Grey S. last October Saturday for Woodbine's
GIII Marine S. Saturday afternoon.
The dark bay opened his account with four straight wins over the Woodbine synthetic for former owner Tucci Stables and trainer Nicholas Gonzalez, including the Colin S. and Swynford S. Sent to Keeneland for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Oct. 31 on the back of his Grey success, he set the early pace before fading thereafter into sixth and was privately purchased by these connections and transferred to Mark Casse for his sophomore campaign. Sixth in the GII Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 12, Riker was a non-factor eighth in the GIII Lexington S. last time Apr. 16.
Casse also saddles John Oxley's Greatest Game (Giant's Causeway), who was a debut winner over this strip last October. Third to this race's favorite Bear'sway (Tizway) in a track-and-trip optional claimer next out Nov. 8, the chestnut missed by just a neck in the Display S. here Nov. 29 and was a respectable second when facing elders and late traffic trouble last time in a local allowance May 1.
The Reade Baker-trained Bear'sway checked in fourth in the Display S., but made his sophomore debut a winning win in this venue's 1 1/16-mile Wando S. over Dragon Bay (Parading) last time Apr. 24.
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