Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Economic Model possible for Carter
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Economic Model, winner of the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 24, could move into Grade 1 company for his next start, which might come in the $400,000 Carter Handicap on April 7 at Aqueduct, trainer Chad Brown said.
“I think I might cut him back to something at seven furlongs, maybe try the Carter,” Brown said at the Palm Meadows training center. “That’s option number one right now. But I don’t know for certain yet.”
The Hal’s Hope is a one-turn mile, and Economic Model won the race by 1 3/4 lengths after stalking the early pace. The win was his second straight, fifth in 14 lifetime starts, and first in a graded stakes. Economic Model, 5, is by Flatter.
If Economic Model does go to the Carter, he may again have to face Irish War Cry, the Hal’s Hope runner-up. Graham Motion, who trains Irish War Cry, said that was the likely next spot for Irish War Cry, who was returning from a fivemonth layoff in the Hal’s Hope.
Irish War Cry, now age 4, won his lone start at Aqueduct, the Grade 2 Wood Memorial last April. That was his last win. He was 10th in last year’s Kentucky Derby and second in the Belmont Stakes. Irish War Cry, by Curlin, has won 4 of 10 lifetime starts.
Brown said the unbeaten 3-year-old Mask, who recently missed significant training time and is out of consideration for the Kentucky Derby, should be ready to return to the work tab in about a week.
“After he works a couple of times, I’ll have a better idea of his fitness,” said Brown, who added that the Grade 3, $200,000 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 14 or the Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs are likely options.
Mask won the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream on Jan. 6. He has worked once since, at Palm Meadows on Jan. 20.
Cloud Computing back at work
Last year’s Triple Crown was won by three different horses, with Todd Pletcher trainees Always Dreaming (Derby) and Tapwrit (Belmont) bookending the Preakness win by Cloud Computing.
All three are on the comeback trail. Cloud Computing, trained by Chad Brown, has had a couple of three-furlong works at Palm Meadows on consecutive Sundays, and Brown said he is targeting the Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester Stakes at Belmont on May 5 as Cloud Computing’s ideal return spot.
The Westchester is often used as a prep for the Grade 1, $1.2 million Metropolitan Mile on the Belmont Stakes card, which this year is June 9. Both the Westchester and Met Mile are one-turn miles.
Salty targets La Troienne
Salty, who was competitive with the best 3-year-old fillies of 2017, likely will be pointed to the Grade 1 La Troienne on the May 4 Kentucky Oaks undercard after a successful return to action Thursday at Gulfstream. Mark Casse trains the Quality Road filly for Gary Barber and partners.
“I’d like to have something in between,” Casse said Friday morning. “Gary and I will have that conversation later on. She’s already a Grade 2 winner, and obviously the goal this year is to make her a Grade 1 winner.”
Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Salty rallied for a two-length victory in the second-level allowance, earning an 84 Beyer Speed Figure for finishing a one-turn mile in 1:37.05. The race was her first since the Sept. 23 Cotillion, her fifth Grade 1 start in a row.
“Tyler couldn’t have ridden her any better,” Casse said. “He was extremely happy with her. He said she barely got out of second gear. Going a mile off a layoff isn’t easy. I thought it was a very good start to her year.”
Saez to serve suspension
Luis Saez, the leading jockey at the championship meet, will serve a three-day suspension next week stemming from a riding infraction in the first race here Wednesday, when his mount, Our Independence, was disqualified from second to fifth for interference in midstretch. Saez will sit out Wednesday through Friday before returning to the saddle Saturday.
Saez entered Friday action with 103 wins, well ahead of runner-up Tyler Gaffalione (67) and third-place Irad Ortiz Jr. (66). Saez was the leading rider at the 2016-17 championship meet with 102 wins.
Meanwhile, Edgard Zayas was held blameless for a separate incident here Wednesday and will not serve days. His mount in the seventh race, Love to Share, was disqualified from first to second for midstretch interference.
◗ Between the Fountain of Youth here this weekend and the March 31 Florida Derby card, just two graded stakes are on the Gulfstream schedule – the Grade 2 Inside Information on March 17 and the Grade 3 Hutcheson on March 24. The co-features here next Saturday, March 10, are $75,000 turf sprint twins for older horses, the Silks Run and Captiva Island.