Dolphus moved to Jerkens, will start in Stymie Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Dolphus, a half-brother to champion and Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra, has been transferred by owner Dede McGehee to trainer Jimmy Jerkens. He will make his first start for Jerkens on Sunday at Aqueduct in the $125,000 Stymie Stakes.

Dolphus, a 4-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky previously trained by Joe Sharp, has won 3 of 9 starts. Most recently, he finished last of nine in the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 14, when he got used up in a speed duel. It was after that race that McGehee moved the horse to Jerkens.

“I wanted to try something different with the horse, so we did,” McGehee said Monday as she was driving home from New Orleans, where she attended the wedding of trainer Bret Calhoun.

“I love Joe. Joe did a great job; don’t have any problem with Joe. Just needed to make a change.” McGehee added. “As far as why Jimmy Jerkens, he was highly recommended. I talked to him, he asked the right questions and said the right things.”

Dolphus had a series of stamina-building works at Palm Meadows, including a one-mile move in 1:41.80 on Feb. 25. He shipped up to New York late last week. On Monday, Dolphus breezed five furlongs in 1:02.50 over a Belmont Park training track that was not yielding fast times all morning. He got his last quarter in 24.91 seconds and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.80.

“He appears to be a very willing, honest horse,” said Steve Moyer, the Belmont Park-based assistant to Jerkens. “He’s a good-looking little horse. This seems like a perfect spot.”

Rajiv Maragh will ride Dolphus in the Stymie at 1 1/8 miles.

McGehee said she has not decided if she will come to New York for the race. She said Lotta Kim, the mother of Rachel Alexandra and Dolphus, is due to give birth to a foal by Tapit any day.

“If she’s imminent, I’m not leaving here,” McGehee said.

The Stymie is shaping up to have a large field. Two other contenders who breezed Monday were Send It In and Diversify. Send It In, the winner of the Alex M. Robb and Haynesfield stakes in his last two starts, worked a half-mile in 49.99 seconds in company with Spooked Out. The duo went their first quarter in 25.38 seconds and their second quarter in 24.61.

Diversify, unbeaten in four starts, worked a half-mile in 48.85 by himself.

Others pointing to the race include Admiral Blue, Do you know something, Grasshoppin, Mr Palmer, Royal Posse, Sunny Ridge, and Turco Bravo, the winner of the last two runnings of the Stymie.

Mott has great weekend

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott had a terrific weekend, winning six races at three tracks.

Shortly before Suffused won the Grade 3 The Very One at Gulfstream, Isabelle galloped to a 12-length victory in Aqueduct’s $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational.

Left by herself on the lead under Kendrick Carmouche, Isabelle was never threatened and earned a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance. The 6-year-old mare now has two stakes wins and a second in three starts since stretching out in distance.

“It took us a long time to run her a distance of ground,” Mott said. “Maybe that’s what she’s wanted to do all along.”

The Heavenly Prize, at 1 1/16 miles, was the first open stakes victory for Isabelle, a New York-bred daughter of Successful Appeal.

Mott, who Sunday won two races at Tampa Bay Downs and one each at Aqueduct and Gulfstream, said Monday he didn’t know what would be next for Isabelle. There isn’t a New York-bred stakes opportunity until the $200,000 Critical Eye at Belmont on May 29. The next open stakes going a distance of ground in New York is the $200,000 Top Flight Invitational, going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct on April 2.

“If she’s doing well, we’ll have a look at it,” Mott said.

Familiar foes in Tom Fool

Green Gratto beat All Star Red by a head in the Grade 3 Toboggan Stakes on Jan. 16. Those two will get a rematch in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct.

Green Gratto, a 7-year-old New Jersey-bred son of Here’s Zealous, will be making his 52nd career start in the Tom Fool, a race in which he finished third in 2015. He won the Toboggan on the lead under Kendrick Carmouche. All Star Red, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Five Star Day, has not won since taking a secondlevel allowance last April over Aqueduct’s main track.

Green Gratto, at 119 pounds, could be the highweight in the field, which is expected to include Chief Lion (118), King Kranz (116), Life in Shambles (116), Sassicaia (116), Spartiatis (115), and Sir Rockport (114).

Stallwalkin’ Dude is the assigned highweight at 122 pounds. He is expected to run in the Golden Shaheen in Dubai on March 25, but a few weeks ago, trainer David Jacobson didn’t totally discount using the Tom Fool as a prep.