Step Back is Step Forward for Doubles Partner
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Photo:
Eclipse Spotswire
Since March 2011, Doubles Partner has raced exclusively in stakes company. In that two year span, the bay son of Rock Hard Ten captured a pair of Grade 3 races and ran very well to finish in the money behind some of the nation’s top turf milers and routers. After a disappointing 7th place finish in the G2 Dixie Stakes on the Preakness undercard, his first worse-than-4th place finish since March 2010, trainer Todd Pletcher decided that a class break was in order.
Two scratches left Doubles Partner with only four foes in
today’s feature, an $81,000 optional-claiming event at 1 mile on the turf, at
Belmont Park. Though Doubles Partner was cutting back to a mile, Pletcher felt that
there shouldn’t be any problem as long as he had some pace to run at. Jockey
John Velazquez and trainer Eddie Kenneally evidently knew how dangerous Doubles
Partner would be if the pace was quick because at the break, Velazquez put Joes Blazing Aaron under a tight lock
in order to keep the pace as moderate as possible. El Commodore, the other speed in the race, did not press the issue
but rather was content to sit right off Aaron through fractions of :24.46 for
the opening quarter and :48.54 for the half.
Despite the sensible pace, Joes Blazing Aaron had no answer
for Doubles Partner or Admiral Perry when those two were called on for their
best stride. He stubbornly tried to fight off the top two but was finally
collared inside the final sixteenth. Doubles Partner forged to the front and
pulled away late to cross the wire 1 ¼ lengths in front of second place
finisher Admiral Perry. It was another 1 ¼ length back to pacesetting Joes
Blazing Aaron, and Ninety Schillings and El Commodore rounded out the field.
The final time was 1.36:54 over the “good” surface.
Today’s win was the son of Rock Hard Ten’s first since
capturing the G3 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park in March 2012 over
Data Link and Little Mike. With a confidence boosting win under his belt, it is
likely that the next time Doubles Partner enters the starting gate, he will do
so in graded stakes company. He consistently runs well even when he does not
win, so look for this one to continue to make some noise in the big turf races
as we enter the second half of the year, particularly in races 8 – 8.5 furlongs
long.
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