since winning the last leg of the Triple Crown in Friday’s 8TH race at Aqueduct. The bay colt will
break from the outside post in the second-level, 1 1/16-mile allowance race,
which attracted eight entrants. Regular rider Fernando Jara has the call.
Jazil and Invasor (Arg) (Candy Stripes), a leading contender for Horse of the
Year honors after a perfect four-for-four U.S. campaign that concluded with a victory
over Bernardini (A.P. Indy) in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), had been sent to Florida, but
they were both shipped back to New York on Christmas Eve after an outbreak of
equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) in the Sunshine State. Owner Shadwell Stable and
trainer Kiaran McLaughlin feared that the situation in Florida might create
restrictions on horses being able to ship to Dubai for the $6 million Dubai
World Cup (UAE-G1) on March 31.
After his last-to-first victory in the Belmont, Jazil was sidelined with a
bruised hind cannon bone. The newly turned four-year-old breezed four furlongs
in :48 3/5 over a fast training track at Belmont Park on Saturday in preparation
for his return to action.
“We wanted to get him started,” McLaughlin said. “He’s doing very well, but I
don’t know if he has to win. If he runs well, we’ll be happy.”
Jazil broke his maiden going 1 1/16 miles on the inner dirt track at Aqueduct
on December 7, 2005, rallying from last to win by a head.
“The only thing that worries me is that the inner track can be speed
favoring,” McLaughlin said. “But at least he’s won over it already.”
Friday’s allowance race will likely serve as a prep for either the $300,000
Strub S. (G2) on February 3 at Santa Anita or the $350,000 Gulfstream Park H.
(G2) on March 3.
“He could run in either of those races,” McLaughlin said. “Or he could be a
backup for Invasor in the Donn Handicap (G1).”
The $500,000 Donn is scheduled for February 3 at Gulfstream Park and would
likely be Invasor’s prep for the Dubai World Cup.
McLaughlin said that he would not ship both horses to Dubai for the World
Cup.