Trinniberg Keeps Sprinting in Bay Shore

While the Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial is the likeliest race for Kentucky Derby-minded 3-year-olds at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday, the Grade 3, $250,000 Bay Shore Stakes also offers an earnings opportunity for sophomores. Topping a field of eight is Trinniberg, whose connections have one eye on the May 5 "Run for the Roses" as they send out the son of Teuflesberg in the seven-furlong Bay Shore.

Carded as race 8 (approximate post 4:38 p.m.), the Bay Shore serves as the second leg of a $500,000 Guaranteed, All Graded Stakes Pick 4 on races 7-10.

Trinniberg's 2012 debut was a memorable one as he aired by six lengths in the Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream Park on March 10. The win was his first since a 5 ¾-length maiden score at Calder Race Course last July. In between, the Bisnath Parboo trainee competed exclusively in graded stakes, finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special to Union Rags, second in the Grade 1 Three Chimney's Hopeful to Currency Swap, second in Belmont Park's Grade 2 Nashua to Vexor, and seventh in the inaugural Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint after rocketing through an opening quarter mile in 20.96 seconds.

In all of his 2011 starts, Trinniberg wore blinkers, but the blinkers came off for the Swale. The result was a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 99.

"We knew we needed to take the blinkers off," said owner Shivananda Parbhoo. "We actually knew it at Churchill when he was training for the Breeders' Cup, but we didn't want to do it over there. After the Breeders' Cup, we gave him some time off on the farm, and he's like a totally different horse now - more relaxed, easy, not headstrong."

While Parbhoo named the May 19 Preakness as a probable goal for Trinniberg, he noted that the Derby wasn't entirely out of the question, even though Trinniberg is untested beyond seven furlongs.

"It all depends on this race," Shivananda Parbhoo said. "If he were to win it easily, there's a good chance we'd talk about the Derby."

As of Wednesday, Trinniberg had $174,500 in graded earnings, good for 24th on the money list. Florida-based jockey Willie Martinez will ride the 9-5 morning line favorite from the rail.

Trinniberg's front-running style stands to benefit New Farm's Hardened Wildcat, who made a wide run from last to win the $100,000, six-furlong Fred "Cappy" Capossela on March 10 at Aqueduct.

In the Bay Shore, Hardened Wildcat looks for his third consecutive victory as he stretches beyond six furlongs for the first time in his career. A second-out maiden winner over Aqueduct's inner track on January 14, the gelded son of Hard Spun got up just in time to take a first-level optional claimer on February 10 and was an easy 1 ¾-length winner of the Capossela.

"I think the extra furlong should help him, and the horse is training great right now," said trainer Chad Brown. "I was really impressed with his last race. When they turned for home, he was pretty far back, and I was very impressed with the run he put in down the lane."

Junior Alvarado will be back aboard Hardened Wildcat, 2-1 on the morning line, from post position 6.

Another exiting the Capossela is Mike Repole's How Do I Win, who was shortened up for his most recent race after a pair of fourth-place stakes finishes against Kentucky Derby hopeful Alpha around two turns at Aqueduct this winter in the Count Fleet and the Withers. A 17 ½-length maiden winner for a $50,000 claiming tag in the slop at Belmont Park on October 19, How Do I Win returned a month later to post a three-length starter allowance win over the Big A's main track.

"He's been running decent races and trying hard," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "I think shorter is better for him, and seven-eighths might be just right."

John Velazquez, aboard for How Do I Win's maiden and allowance victories, regains the mount, and the pair will leave from post position 8 as the 5-1 morning line third choice.

Also cutting back in distance for the Bay Shore are King and Crusader and Maan, who were eighth and 13th, respectively, in Aqueduct's Grade 3 Gotham on March 3.

King and Crusader won the six-furlong, $75,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes at Aqueduct on January 16, three days after he took a one-mile optional claimer at the Big A by two lengths. Trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr. for James Riccio, King and Crusader gets the services of Mike Luzzi for Saturday's race.

Joseph Sutton's Maan was undefeated in two starts heading into the Gotham, his first race beyond 6 ½ furlongs.

"We're turning him back after we found out he doesn't stay in the Gotham," said Tom Morley, assistant to trainer Eddie Kenneally. "The horse is doing super, he's breezed really well twice post-Gotham, and we're looking forward to running him."

Completing the field in the Bay Shore are Copy My Swagger, beaten a half-length by Wood Memorial entrant Street Life in the Broad Brush overnight stakes last time out; Perfect Trippi, who lost a stretch battle with Hardened Wildcat in that February 10 optional claimer; and Phil Dancer, who owns two wins from three starts, all in Pennsylvania.

The field for the Grade 3, $250,000 Bay Shore Stakes: