Fast 3-year-olds could collide

ELMONT, N.Y. – Takaful and Mr. Crow, two of the more-talented 3-year-old sprinters on the grounds, could meet in the Grade 1, $350,000 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park on Sept. 30, their connections said Friday.

Takaful, who finished second to Practical Joke in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga after an impressive allowance win up there opening day, is also being considered for the Grade 2, $250,000 Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 6. Takaful’s trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, said the allowance conditions of the Phoenix are enticing – meaning his horse would get a weight break – but the Grade 1 status of the Vosburgh makes that weightfor-age race attractive. Takaful won his career debut by 8 1/2 lengths at first asking here last fall.

On Friday, Takaful returned to the work tab for the first time since the Jerkens, breezing a half-mile in 49.43 seconds over the Belmont training track.

McLaughlin has repeatedly said Takaful is not easy to train. He comes out late in the morning. After backing up to the seven-furlong pole on the training track, Takaful jogged slowly to the 3 1/2-furlong pole before breaking into a gallop and then getting into his work at the three-furlong pole. He was four to five paths off the rail for the move and broke off in a sharp 11.51 seconds for the opening eighth. His exercise rider sat quiet on Takaful as he came through the stretch and worked the colt to the sevenfurlong marker.

“Happy that he’s worked, was moving well,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said the next start would determine whether Takaful belongs in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4.

Meanwhile, trainer Todd Pletcher said Friday that Mr. Crow will make his stakes debut in the Vosburgh, which like the Phoenix is a Win and You’re In race for the BC Sprint. At Saratoga, Mr. Crow won a maiden race by 11 1/2 lengths and a first-level allowance by 6 1/4 lengths, both in very fast time.

“He ran so well in his maiden win that it was tempting to look at the Allen Jerkens,” Pletcher said. “We just felt like a little more experience would do him good. But I don’t see the point in another allowance race at this stage.”

Pletcher said his other topflight 3-year-old sprinter, Coal Front, is being considered for the Grade 3, $300,000 Gallant Bob at Parx Racing next Saturday. Coal Front was expected to work at Belmont on Saturday.

Mind Your Biscuits training to Sprint

Mind Your Biscuits, the Grade 1-winning New Yorkbred sprinter, will train up to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, according to trainer Chad Summers.

Mind Your Biscuits finished sixth in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga on Aug. 26. Summers said he could not find anything physically wrong with Mind Your Biscuits and was debating whether to run in the Grade 1 Vosburgh on Sept. 30 or the Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Oct. 7. In the end, he decided to skip them both.

“The Vosburgh was coming up a little quick, the Santa Anita Sprint Championship was tempting,” Summers said Friday. “He’s run well fresh in the past. We think the race you have to try and win is the Breeders’ Cup, so we’re just going to try and go into the Breeders’ Cup fresh.”

Summers said Mind Your Biscuits probably would return to the work tab next weekend.

Newport Breeze back for Gimma

Newport Breeze, who had an awkward trip when second in the Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 25, heads a field of eight entered in Wednesday’s $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies at Belmont Park.

In the Seeking the Ante, Newport Breeze was stalking the pace from second. Entering the far turn, she began to drop back steadily, presumably due to dirt being kicked back in her face. Next to last at the five-sixteenths pole, Newport Breeze re-rallied in the stretch to fall three-quarters of a length short to Cause We Are Loyal.

Ridden by Jose Ortiz that day, Newport Breeze will be ridden by Joel Rosario on Wednesday.

Ortiz will be on Girl’s Dance Party, a 7 1/4-length debut winner at Finger Lakes for trainer Jeremiah Englehart.

Also entered in the Gimma, run at seven furlongs, are Aunt Babe, Beaux Arts, Berning Rose, Held Accountable, Pause for the cause, and Miss Mystique.

RONNIE BETOR Takaful (right) runs second to Practical Joke in the Jerkens. He could go next in the Vosburgh.