Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Contact: Ashley Herriman
KRYPTON IN HIS ELEMENT FOR
Krypton seeks his first win since taking the Grade 3 Hill Prince at
Lethal Combination, a gelded son of Broken Vow, exits a gutsy victory in the Grade 3 Saranac at Saratoga Race Course on September 5, in which he overcame a wide trip to win by a half-length. Having begun his career in England, Lethal Combination made his U.S. debut for McLaughlin in the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 6, finishing sixth, then came back to win a grass allowance at Keeneland in April. In his only previous start at
“A mile to a mile and a sixteenth might be [Krypton’s] best distance, but in that this race is straight 3-year-olds, a mile and an eighth is fine,” said McLaughlin. “He ran well at a mile and a quarter in the Virginia Derby, so we’re not that worried about the distance, although going forward I think he could be a really nice older horse going a mile, because he finishes so well. Lethal Combination kind of takes himself out of it and then he comes running. He’s coming off his lifetime best race, and if he can repeat that he’ll be tough.”
Krypton, the 118-pound highweight and 3-1 morning-line favorite, gets the services of regular rider Alan Garcia from post 9. With Rajiv Maragh riding out of town on Saturday, Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado has the call aboard 6-1 morning-line third-choice Lethal Combination from post 6.
The top three from the Saranac will be reunited in the
The Irish-bred Fantastico Roberto, trained by Todd Pletcher for Team Valor International, also began his career in Europe, winning his first two starts in
“We’ve been trying to figure out his best running style,” said Pletcher. “We took the blinkers off for [the Saranac] after he ran off in the Jersey Derby [finished seventh]. We’ll be putting blinkers back on in the hopes of a happy medium, hoping they’ll help him focus without being too headstrong. Short cups should do the trick.”
John Velazquez will ride the 8-1 co-fourth choice from post 11.
With his runner-up effort in the Saranac his best grass performance so far, Turf Melody will look for his first win over the surface on Saturday. The Earle Mack color-bearer made the fifth start of his career over the Keeneland lawn, finishing a disappointing seventh in the Grade 3 Bourbon last fall, and did not try turf again until a fifth-place effort in the Quick Call at
Turf Melody and jockey Alex Solis will leave from post 5.
Teaks North and Beau Choix, the 1-2 finishers from the Restoration Stakes at Monmouth, will both step up into Grade 1 company for the first time on Saturday.
Trained Justin Sallusto, Teaks North carries a two-race winning streak into the
Second by a length in the Restoration, Beau Choix has finished in the top three in seven out of eight lifetime starts. Trained by Barclay Tagg for Belle Meadows Farm, the son of Elusive Quality was tabbed as the 4-1 second choice on the morning line and will leave from post 3.
Switching surfaces from dirt to turf will be Admiral Alex, most recently last in the Grade 1 Travers, only the second start of his career after a 1 1/8-mile maiden victory on the main track at the Spa July 31.
“His whole pedigree is loaded with turf,” owner and trainer Leon Blusiewicz said of the half-brother to Grade 3 Lexington and Fort Marcy winner Woodlander. “[His dam, Madam Lagonza] comes from one of the powerful families in
Completing the field are Citrus Kid, fifth in the Saranac; Center Divider, who has not raced since a four-length allowance victory at Keeneland in April; Prince Will I Am, game winner of an optional claimer at Saratoga on September 3, and Two Notch Road, who finished fourth in the Jersey Derby.
The field for the Grade 1, $250,000
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Citrus Kid (KY) | 114 | 30-1 | ||
| 2 | Admiral Alex (KY) | 114 | 8-1 | ||
| 3 | Beau Choix (KY) | 116 | 4-1 | ||
| 4 | Center Divider (KY) | 114 | 12-1 | ||
| 5 | Turf Melody (KY) | 116 | 12-1 | ||
| 6 | Lethal Combination (KY) | 117 | 6-1 | ||
| 7 | Prince Will I Am (KY) | 114 | 10-1 | ||
| 8 | | 117 | 15-1 | ||
| 9 | Krypton (FL) | 118 | 3-1 | ||
| 10 | Teaks North (FL) | 116 | 8-1 | ||
| 11 | Fantastico Roberto (IRE) | 117 | 8-1 |
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