Travers Semifinal: Kid Cruz vs. Tiz Dark
As the first stakes race on a super card of racing at Belmont Park tomorrow, the 1 1/16-mile Dwyer Stakes might be somewhat overshadowed by the other richer races run later in the afternoon. Not for me. Much like the Florida Derby or Louisiana Derby helps to clarify things as the calendar marches ever closer to the Kentucky Derby each year, I see this year’s Dwyer as a key race on the way to the Travers. Two of the Dwyer entrants in particular have me thinking this way; the three-time stakes winner, Kid Cruz, and the recent maiden winner, Tiz Dark.
Kid Cruz comes in off an excellent win in the Easy Goer on Belmont Stakes Day. His third stakes win in four starts, you might think that the son of Lemon Drop Kid would be a proven commodity, but not so. After winning a pair of Marlyand stakes like a good thing, but against suspect fields, Kid Cruz received his first shot at the big time in the Preakness Stakes. Things did not go well. Falling way behind early, Kid Cruz never got into racing’s Middle Jewel, and could only pass a few tiring horses on the way to an eighth place finish. I wondered afterwards if maybe he just wasn’t a grade 1 performer, but I was impressed enough by his powerful victory in the Easy Goer Stakes to believe that he is deserving of another shot. His connections believe they have at least an explanation for his dull effort at Pimlico.
"We were very happy to get him turned around into a winning effort in the Easy Goer,” said his trainer, Linda Rice. “He needs a little encouragement to get involved early. In some of his races he was 22 lengths back. In this last race on Belmont Day, he was maybe eight or 10 lengths back. When he's involved with those caliber of horses, he needs to be involved early."
Tiz Dark, on the other hand, has never seen the starting gate of a stakes race before. Having run only in a pair of maiden races, the son of Tiznow whistled home in a fast maiden race six weeks ago. That win came over the same distance and track as Saturday’s Dwyer. While the win was eye-catching, it came as little surprise after the colt showed plenty of potential in his career debut, when he battled on a pressured pace most of the way before coming home a good second at a flat mile. Bet down to prohibitive favoritism for his second start, Tiz Dark looked like the real deal in stalking and pouncing, before romping home a near seven length winner in 1:41 flat. Further improvement for the colt who looks good running in the mornings against some tough older stakes horses in the loaded Todd Pletcher barn, could make the Starlight Racing runner one of the more interesting sophomores in the nation.
As the title of this column suggests, I believe that either Kid Cruz or Tiz Dark could be legitimate threats come the Travers, but having said that, the Dwyer is by no means a two horse affair.
Chief among the rest is the undefeated entrymate of Kid Cruz, Captain Serious. The New York-bred son of Successful Appeal is three-for-three against statebreds, and comes in off a very fast win in the severn furlong Mike Lee Stakes. Ulanbator, a supplemental entry into the Dwyer, is an improving sort for trainer, Ian Wilkes. In his last start, he made up good ground to finish second best to Tapiture in the Grade 3 Matt Winn at Churchill Downs. Rounding out the six-horses set to run for the Dwyer are, Spot, who has disappointed in three starts since winning the Grade 2 Swale in March at Gulfstream Park, and Gaining Ground, the rank outsider in the field.
While both Captain Serious and Ulanbator are in with a shot on Saturday, it is Kid Cruz and Tiz Dark that I am really interested in seeing run, for if either or both colts, who are talented and bred to run classic distances, can move forward in the Dwyer, they become serious players for the Mid-Summer Derby.