Sprint Diary

SPRINT DIARY

APRIL 22, 2005

by Jordan Strickler

The seven-furlong Carter H. (G1) on
April 9 was a tale of two types of sprinters. FOREST DANGER (Forestry) proved
that he is the one to beat at seven furlongs or a mile, while DON
SIX (Wild Escapade) established that he is more of a six-furlong horse. Don Six
set the pace through blistering fractions of :21 2/5, :43 1/5 and 1:07 2/5. If
the race had of ended there, all would have been fine in the shedrow of Scott
Lake, but the remaining ground remained spelled trouble for the five-year-old
Don Six.

Forest Danger came from off the pace, with MEDALLIST (Touch Gold) in tow,
to catch the pacesetter in deep stretch. The Todd Pletcher-trained winner eventually proved
best by 1 3/4 lengths over Medallist as Don Six held for the show. Forest Danger showed the world that
he can take it to the best of them at seven furlongs, but Don Six remains
perhaps the country’s best sprinter going shorter distances.

It was good to see CLOCK STOPPER
(Gilded Time) take his first trip to the winner’s circle since June of last year
in Saturday’s Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup S.
(G2) at Keeneland. Since that last victory over optional-claiming rivals, the five-year-old
gelding had finished second or third seven times, all in stakes races. It’s almost a shock that
he didn’t get confused with no horses in front of him in the stretch Saturday.
Unfortunately, the Dallas Stewart trainee exited the race with a bowed tendon in
his left front leg. He’s expected to be sidelined for at least six months.

GATORS N BEARS (Stormy Atlantic)
offered a fine showing on the front end of the Commonwealth and finished only three parts of a length
back in second, earning a 111 BRIS Speed rating.

CAJUN BEAT (Grand Slam) also
suffered an injury during the Commonwealth and was vanned
off the track with a career-threatening ankle
injury. It was a shame to see Cajun Beat’s career dwindle after he left the
shedrow of Steven Margolis, who took him to a record of 6-3-3-0, with two Grade
3 wins and a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). Granted, three of his
races under Bobby Frankel were Grade 1 races, but Cajun Beat was forced to
abandon the front-running style that proved so successful under
Margolis, to a stalking style that scored him only one victory.

In other sprinting news, Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) winner
SARATOGA COUNTY (Valid Expectations) will retire at the end of the year and make
a new home in Summerfield, Florida, at Dr. Tom Simon’s Vinery Stud. Owners
Richard and Evelyn Pollard still have plans to point him toward a series of
major races later in the year, including the Breeders’ Cup
Sprint at Belmont Park.