Forte Dei Marmi Starting Highweight in Elkhorn
Stella Perdomo’s Forte Dei Marmi (GB), who received the 2013 Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion turf male, is the 120-pound highweight for the 29th running of the $250,000 Dixiana Elkhorn (G2) on Friday, closing day of the 2014 Spring Meet. This marks the debut of William J. Shively’s Dixiana Farm’s sponsorship of the Elkhorn, which increased the purse of the race by $50,000.
Trained by Roger Attfield, Forte Dei Marmi last year won the Northern Dancer (G1), Sky Classic (G2) and Singspiel (G3) at Woodbine. Now 8, the Selkirk gelding opened his 2014 campaign at Keeneland, running fifth in a 1 1/8-mile turf allowance event on April 5. On Tuesday morning, he worked five furlongs over the turf in 1:01.80.
James Graham will ride Forte Dei Marmi in the Dixiana Elkhorn and break from post 13. Their rivals include three horses coming off victories this season: Old Time Hockey, winner of the Tampa Turf Classic on April 5; Rapscallion, who won a 1 3/16-mile allowance race on the main track here on April 4; and Tattenham, an allowance winner over 1 7/16 miles on the Gulfstream turf on Feb. 26.
The field for the Dixiana Elkhorn, from the rail out, is as follows: Old Time Hockey (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118 pounds), Optimizer (Joe Rocco Jr., 118), Unitarian (Javier Castellano, 118), Hangover Kid (Julien Leparoux, 118), Temeraine (Jose Lezcano, 118), Suntracer (Robby Albarado, 118), Rapscallion (Jeremy Rose, 118), Tattenham (Joel Rosario, 118), Royal Bench (IRE) (Corey Lanerie, 118), Tricky Hat (CHI) (Rosie Napravnik, 118), Amen Kitten (John Velazquez, 118), Eagle Poise (Alex Solis, 118), Forte Dei Marmi (GB) (James Graham, 120) and War Dancer (Alan Garcia, 118).