Bombaguia Gearing Up for Manhattan Handicap

Trying Grade 1 company for the first time in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap will be GoldMark Farm’s Bombaguia, most recently a hard-luck second to Lubash in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy on May 4.

“It doesn’t get much worse than that,” said trainer John Kimmel of the gray gelding’s trip in the Fort Marcy, in which he was caught in traffic from the quarter-pole to the eighth pole, where he was forced to steady, then altered course twice before closing furiously to miss by a half-length. “I thought he ran a winning race. If he gets through there, he’s an easy winner.”

The Borrego gelding opened his 5-year-old campaign finishing second by a neck on a one-mile optional claimer at Gulfstream Park; at four, he was  2-2-1 from 10 starts, including a good second to Air Support in the Grade 2 Bowling Green at Belmont.

“Last year his best performance was running second to Air Support going 1 ¼ miles, and I think he’s a stronger, better horse this year,” said Kimmel. “I like the way my horse is coming into the race, and I think he deserves a chance.”