Lexington S.

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Seven sophomores will contest Sunday’s Lexington S. (G3) over Belmont’s inner
turf, with one main-track-only entrant waiting at the ready, and all are seeking their first American stakes win. The lone
stakes winner, IM SPARTACUS (GB) (Namaqualand), is an Irish Group 3 victor and
will be making his U.S. bow for trainer David Flood. The bay gelding is probably
the only horse in the Lexington field that can handle the 10-furlong distance,
but we’ll try to go for a little more value with BIG PRAIRIE (Danzig).

Second by a neck last out in the nine-furlong Jefferson Cup S. (G3) over the
Churchill Downs turf, Big Prairie still ran a huge race, straightening for home
full of run, but getting boxed in down the stretch. Clearly deterred,
jockey Javier Castellano waited for room and finally got it on the outside, where the
duo made up nearly four lengths on the leaders but came up just short at the
wire. In his only appearance at Belmont, a first-level allowance going 8 1/2
furlongs on the grass, Big Prairie came home with an impressive rush up the rail
to finish fourth, just 1 1/2 lengths back, and appears to be the closer of the
closers if he can get a nice trip. With Castellano back in the saddle and the added
distance, this is the colt’s race to lose.

PRINCE RAHY (Rahy) also just missed last out, finishing second by a nose in
the Hill Prince S. (G3) over this course after a bumping incident in deep
stretch. The Frank Alexander-trained chestnut will be closing with our top
choice and rates a serious threat. We’ll use the colt in all levels of the
exotics with Eibar Coa returning to ride.

Im Spartacus brought top jockey Jamie Spencer with him from Ireland for the
Lexington, and the bay gelding might run away with it all against this bunch,
assuming he acclimates himself to his new surroundings. We like his win
chances, but we’ll only use him in the runner-up positions in the gimmicks in
his first start stateside.

Tom Albertrani will send out WOODLANDER (Forestry) off two consecutive wins
over this surface. The bay won a maiden event and an allowance, both at nine
furlongs, and obviously relishes the Elmont, New York, oval. We’ll have to use
the improving colt in the bottom of the gimmicks.

DYNAGLIDER (Dynaformer) broke his maiden in his last start despite being
bumped. Even with top jockey John Velazquez in the irons, we’ll have to go
against. MONOPOLY PRICING (Horse Chestnut [SAf]) makes the jump from the
claiming ranks to the graded stakes level and may be outclassed. The James Jerkins-trained REEL LEGEND (Catrail) ran second in his only two
turf attempts and it looks tough for him to do much better in this spot.

FIRST WORD (Chester House) is a main-track-only entrant but the Bobby
Frankel-conditioned bay is a serious contender to take it all if the race is
taken off the turf.