National Jockey Club

A field of six will line up for the $250,000 National Jockey Club H. (G3) at
Hawthorne on Saturday going 1 1/8 miles. NKOSI REIGNS (Out of Place) has room to improve off a
third versus allowance company here last out where he was checked and forced to alter
his course. The five-year-old dark bay drilled four furlongs in a bullet :47 1/5
on Wednesday for conditioner Christine Janks, who has been having a successful
meet thus far at Hawthorne. In five starts over this surface, the gelding has
posted a 3-0-1 record and looks to be a good upset shot here at 8-1 on the
morning line. Carlos Silva has the call.

COLITA (Grindstone) made a good late run in the Excelsior Breeders’ Cup H.
(G3) but was unable to catch the leaders, finishing third. He earned a BRIS 108
Late Pace figure for that game finish. The six-year-old Todd Pletcher trainee
has the ability to close or to rate just off the pace, and given that there
is not a whole lot of speed here, we can expect him to sit near the front, as he
did when annexing an allowance/optional claiming contest by 4 1/2 lengths over
Aqueduct’s inner track in February. Jose Santos will ride.

EVENING ATTIRE (Black Tie Affair [Ire]) will be at a disadvantage here as
there probably won’t be much pace up front. The eight-year-old gelding
has come up short in his last four, breaking slowly in three of those. We think the
Patrick Kelly-conditioned gray will be a good bet against at low odds, but still
should hit the top three. With Santos opting to ride Colita, Chris Emigh picks
up the mount.

THREE HOUR NAP (Afternoon Deelites) wintered at Oaklawn Park, where the four-year-old bay defeated allowance rivals in his last start for
trainer Hugh Robertson, earning a career-high BRIS Speed figure of 101. He has
exhibited a good late kick and should finish well for part under Francisco
Torres.

Hawthorne veteran COURTHOUSE (Doneraile Court) has failed to produce against
lesser company thus far this year and we will overlook him for now. SUMMER BOOK’s
(Notebook) last win came here over a muddy track in December, but he still looks outclassed in
this spot.