Jenkins considers Victory Ride for Shimmering Aspen

Fresh off her first stakes win, a dominating victory in the seven-furlong Alma North June 17 at Laurel, Hillwood Stable’s Shimmering Aspen is likely to make a return to graded company for her next start.

 

Trainer Rodney Jenkins is considering the 6 ½-furlong Victory Ride (G3) Sunday, July 9 at Belmont Park for Shimmering Aspen, whose 5 ¾-length triumph in the Alma North came over a field that included four stakes winners led by Grade 1 winner Yellow Agate.

 

“So far, so good. She’s lively and she looks well. She didn’t lose any weight. Knock on wood, she’s sound,” Jenkins said. “If she is still doing as well as she is now, there’s the race at Belmont. That’s what we’re looking at.

 

“What we’d like to do is get some graded black-type on her, then we’re going to probably stretch her out again if things go accordingly,” he added. “She’s a graded-quality mare. The distance is a good distance for her. That’s where we stand now. It’s subject to change, but that’s our plan.”

 

Shimmering Aspen has won four of her last five starts since breaking her maiden in her second try last fall at Laurel. Her Alma North victory was particularly important for her connections followed an ambitious attempt at the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan (G2) May 19 at Pimlico, where she raced on the deepest part of a sloppy, sealed track from her rail post and took a short lead into the stretch before fading to seventh.

 

“It was good that we didn’t kill her confidence,” Jenkins said. “She had to run pretty hard the first half of the [Alma North] and she showed how brave she was. She laid right in there with Crabcakes. The only thing we were worried about – we know she has the talent – is sometimes with fillies you can ruin their confidence getting them beat. But, she’s a pretty nice filly I think.”

 

Her victory made Shimmering Aspen the 100th career stakes winner for her sire, Malibu Moon, who stands at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky. Shimmering Aspen is the first foal out of four-time stakes-winning mare Aspenglow.

 

“Is that right?” Jenkins said. “How about that. Number 100, that ain’t bad, is it?” 

 

 

Marathon Farms’ multiple stakes-winning 3-year-old O Dionysus, unraced since his runner-up finish in the Federico Tesio April 22 at Laurel Park, is being pointed to a return to competition next month at his home track.

 

Trainer Gary Capuano said the sophomore son of 2012 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) runner-up Bodemeister could make his return in the $75,000 Concern Stakes for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs Saturday, July 22 at Laurel.

 

“He’s doing fine. We just gave him a little bit of a break and backed off his training. He’s starting back again,” Capuano said. “Hopefully if everything goes good we’ll see him next month in the seven-eighths stake at Laurel. We’ll start getting him back and get a few works in him and see how he is.”

 

O Dionysus has raced four times this year, all at Laurel, winning the one-mile Miracle Wood Feb. 18 and finishing second in the Frank Whiteley Jr., Private Terms and Tesio, the latter two to Twisted Tom, who went on to run sixth in the June 10 Belmont Stakes (G1).

 

As a 2-year-old O Dionysus had two wins from six starts, capturing the Christopher Elser Memorial in mid-November at Parx. He was also second by a nose in the Dec. 31 Marylander to Irish War Cry, a subsequent multiple Grade 2 winner and runner-up as the favorite in the Belmont.

 

O Dionysus has remained in Capuano’s barn at Laurel during his hiatus and had one work, a five-furlong breeze in 1:03 May 11, since the Tesio.

 

“He’s been with me the whole time. We just took it easy with him. He had such a hard campaign in the fall and winter we decided to give him a little break and recharge,” Capuano said. “He looks good. He’ll start breezing in next week or so and we’ll go from there. We’ll see if he’s ready for that race or if we have to wait. If he’s ready he’ll be there.”