Maiden from Irish War Cry's family takes on Laurel Futurity
Trainer Graham Motion has entered two in the $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Laurel Futurity set for Saturday at Laurel Park: Isabelle Haskell de Tomaso’s homebred Irish Mias and Flaxman Holdings Ltd.’s Torres Del Paine.
As the only maiden in the field, Irish Mias will carry 120 pounds, four fewer than each of his rivals in the 93rd running of the Futurity for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles over Luarle's turf course.
Irish Mias has run second in his only two starts, both sprinting on the dirt. He was beaten 1 ¼ lengths going five furlongs in an off-the-turf maiden special weight July 24, a race where he was forced to steady at the start. He was bumped at the break Aug. 17, as well, then came with a wide run but wound up 2 ½ lengths behind the winner. Both races came at Saratoga with Rajiv Maragh riding.
“I think I would have probably run him two turns last time on the grass, but Rajiv talked me out of it because he handled the dirt so well when the race came off the time before,” Motion said. “To me this is probably more what he wants to do. He’s from the Irish War Cry family. I know he’s a maiden, but he’s run respectably. It’s a little bit hard to judge off those sprint races, but he’ll be pretty forward being a bit sharp, especially going two turns now.”
Torres Del Paine broke his maiden at first asking going 5 ½ furlongs on the grass June 28 at Laurel, then was sent to face fellow New York-breds in the Rick Violette Stakes July 17 at Saratoga, where he was a distant fifth over a sloppy main track. Back on turf for the Rosie’s Stakes Aug. 31 at Colonial, he rebounded to be third with a rail trip.
“I feel bad for him. I took him up to New York and put him on the dirt and it was just a deluge that day. It rained like crazy. I can’t hold that race against him,” Motion said. “We gelded him after that start, because he can be a little tough in the morning, and he came back and I thought he ran very respectably last time. I was tempted to stretch him out last time but I was just worried that he’d be too fresh. I thought he ran well to be third, and he’s done well since then.”
Manny Franco has the call on Irish Mias from Post 6, while Torres Del Paine drew the rail with Weston Hamilton.
Rick Kanter’s Doc Boy, already a stakes winner at the distance and unbeaten in two tries on the surface, Doc Boy, is a son of Into Mischief who has carried expectations with him after being sold for $325,000 as a yearling last fall. His unveiling came in June in a five-furlong sprint at Belmont Park that was rained onto a sloppy main track, where he finished fourth.
Trainer Mike Stidham put him back on the grass for a one-mile maiden special weight July 19 at Laurel Park, where he found himself up close to a slow pace before taking over the lead and drawing away to a five-length victory under jockey Feargal Lynch.
“When he broke his maiden there was just no pace at all and Feargal decided to go ahead and take the lead early because he didn’t want to get boxed in or in a spot where he couldn’t win,” Stidham said. “I think the horse is pretty adaptable.”
Doc Boy stepped up and stretched out for the 1 1/16-mile Kitten’s Joy Stakes Aug. 31 at Colonial Downs, also with Lynch aboard, forging a short advantage at the top of the stretch and emerging with a three-quarter-length triumph over Cadet Connolly, who came back to break his maiden Sept. 8 and run second in the Summer (G1) Sept. 15 at Woodbine.
“We’ve liked him quite a bit,” Stidham said. “I thought he was a little bit green at Colonial under the lights. He made the lead and he kind of looked like he was waiting a little bit, so I think there’s more there to him. He’s a big, strong colt that I don’t think we’ve seen the best of yet. He’s got some upside to him.”
Stidham also entered James Covello’s Jack the Ripper, a French-bred colt that will wear blinkers and race with Lasix for the first time in his North American debut. Jack the Ripper raced twice overseas, breaking his maiden going 6 ¾ furlongs July 14 at Senonnes.
“I don’t know a whole lot about the horse. He was purchased over there and sent to me,” Stidham said. “We’ve worked him a couple of times and he worked well. He ran at a little-known track over in France when he broke his maiden, so we’re all going to learn a little bit more about him in this race. He’s a good-looking, two-turn-looking type of horse.”
Lynch has the return call on Doc Boy from Post 7 in a field of nine, while Sheldon Russell rides Jack the Ripper from Post 5.
Third in the Kitten’s Joy, beaten 2 ¼ lengths, was The Elkstone Group’s The Quantico Kid, trained by Mike Trombetta. Fifth in his debut sprinting on the dirt July 11 at Laurel, he broke his maiden by a head going a mile Aug. 9 at Colonial, a race where Cadet Connolly ran third.
“He’s got two long races under his belt now and he’s got some seasoning, so we’re going to take a shot,” Trombetta said. “He put in a good effort last time. We were pleased with the way he ran.”
The Quantico Kid adds blinkers and keeps jockey Daniel Centeno, breaking from Post 3.
Completing the field are Field Pass, second by a length in the Aug. 28 With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga; Benny Havens, Fair Haired Boy and Mischevious Alex.
The Futurity has a rich history dating back to 1921 inaugural winner Morvich, who would go on to win the 1922 Kentucky Derby. The Futurity has also been won by Triple Crown champions Affirmed, Citation and Secretariat along with Barbaro, Spectacular Bid, Tapit, In Reality, Honest Pleasure and Quadrangle.