Aqueduct: Supersonic Blue ships east for Paradise Creek

Kentucky homebred Supersonic Blue is a last-out stakes-winner in California and has entered Saturday’s $150,000 Paradise Creek, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for sophomores, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale for owner Stepaside Farm, the Air Force Blue gelding captured the John Shear going about 6 1/2 furlongs on April 6 over the Santa Anita Park downhill turf course. There, Supersonic Blue grabbed the early lead through an opening quarter-mile in 22.13 seconds and half-mile in 43.75, gamely defending his position for a half-length victory over Cali Cat in a final time of 1:12.45.

“I thought he ran well. He’s only had three runs, so he was still a bit green,” said Drysdale.

The performance earned a 74 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form, matching Supersonic Blue’s career-best earned in his prior outing when graduating second-out sprinting six furlongs in January at Santa Anita. That victory also came in gate-to-wire fashion, improving upon a stalking second on debut when defeated 1 1/4 lengths going five furlongs in November at Del Mar.

Supersonic Blue breaks from post 7 with jockey Flavien Prat. He is out of the same connections’ Grade 3-placed Giant’s Causeway mare Entrechat, a full-sister to Grade 2-winner Doswell and half-sister to Grade 2-placed Secretary at War. His third dam is multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Kostroma.

“I’ve trained some other ones out of that mare (Entrechat) that have done well,” said Drysdale. “There’s two or three other ones. Cailin Dana is running the prior day there, she is in on Friday (race 2). She is by Oscar Performance, running one mile and three sixteenths. She also looked like a sprinter, but it appears distance is more favorable.”

Drysdale said Supersonic Blue may stick around on the NYRA circuit with a good showing in the Paradise Creek.

“There’s several turf sprint stakes for 3-year-olds in New York,” said Drysdale. “Provided he runs well, there’s two more races like it up at Saratoga.”

The Spa offers the 5 1/2-furlong $175,000 Quick Call (G3) on July 13, and the $175,000 Mahony (G3) at the same distance on August 10, both for sophomore turf sprinters.  

Grade 3 winner Clock Tower starts from post 5 with jockey Junior Alvarado. He cuts back in distance following a last-out eighth in the 1 1/16-mile Transylvania (G3) on April 7 at Keeneland. Trained by Wesley Ward for Mrs. Fitriani Hay, the Not This Time gelding was making his second start of the year following a fourth on dirt in the one-mile Robert B. Lewis (G3) in February at Santa Anita.

Clock Tower is another one with winning West Coast form, going gate-to-wire in the one-mile Cecil B. DeMille (G3) in December at Del Mar. He was previously third in the 1 1/16-mile Bourbon (G2) in October at Keeneland after an impressive one-mile third-out graduation in August at Kentucky Downs when making his grass debut.

Clock Tower was scratched from the one-mile James W. Murphy on Saturday’s Preakness Day card at Pimlico, which was contested over good turf and won by heavy favorite Reagan’s Wit.

Warheart, starting from post 8 with Manny Franco, ran his best race over course and distance when a pacesetting four-length victor of the Atlantic Beach to cap his juvenile campaign in November. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset for DARRS, the Omaha Beach gelding made a troubled return to the races in the 6 1/2-furlong synthetic Turfway Preview in January ahead of a 3 1/2-length fifth in the 5 1/2-furlong William Walker on April 30 at Churchill Downs.

Warheart has competed at six different distances and tracks in his six starts, his local six-furlong effort returning a career-best 87 Beyer. He was a $90,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale out of the stakes-placed Colonel John mare Inside Out. His fourth dam, Charmie Carmie, is a half-sister to Hall of Famer Chris Evert.

Pivotal Moment, who starts from post 9 under Irad Ortiz Jr., steps up off a second-out graduation sprinting six furlongs in February at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Christophe Clement for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Bouchey and Steven Rocco, the Bolt d’Oro bay added blinkers off a debut third in June here and closed from five lengths back in sixth-of-8 to win by four lengths on the firm turf, registering a much-improved 82 Beyer in victory.

“Last time at Gulfstream, he was all business,” said Clement’s Belmont Park-based assistant Christophe Lorieul. “As soon as we put the blinkers on, he was like a bull. He's a top-of-the-ground horse and I just hope we can get fast ground. He's very efficient on fast ground– very quick – and he was ultra-impressive last time at Gulfstream.”

Lorieul noted that Pivotal Moment was a prospect to run early on during the Keeneland spring meet, but was re-routed in search of firmer ground.

“He's been training well. The only thing we worry about is the weather because he is a horse that is very quick - a big, strong horse - and I don't know that softer ground would be to his liking,” said Lorieul.

Pivotal Moment, a $330,000 purchase at the 2024 OBS spring sale of 2-year-olds in training out of the winning Speightstown mare Tipping Point, is a half-brother to stakes-winner Blame J D.

Assertiveness drew post 4 and will be ridden by John Velazquez. He cuts back in distance after three career starts at one mile, showing improvement in the latter two on turf. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher for Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable, the Into Mischief bay enters from a prominent allowance third on April 12 over good Keeneland turf, which followed a second-out nose graduation over next-out winner Dublin’s Knight in March at Gulfstream.

Assertiveness, a $650,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September yearling sale, is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning turfer Isabella Sings.

The Paradise Creek is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 11-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. EDT.