Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Synchrony makes things clear
Anyone needing further affirmation that, at least for the spring, Synchrony is one of the best middle-distance horses in North America got it on Saturday in the Muniz Memorial Handicap.
Synchrony had returned from a long layoff with scintillating score Feb. 17 in the Fair Grounds Handicap, which produced a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure. In the Grade 2, $300,000 Muniz, Synchrony fully validated that performance, winning by 1 3/4 lengths in a deeper, stronger field, and getting another career-best Beyer of 101.
“He came out of the race great and looked fabulous this morning,” trainer Mike Stidham said Sunday. “It did not take an ounce out of him.”
Synchrony is a 5-year-old horses by Tapit out of the fine race mare Brownie Points who was bred and is owned by Pin Oak Stable. He showed dirt talent from the start of his career in 2015, improved when switched to turf by Stidham last year, and has hit a new, higher level following a long break, during which Synchrony got over some nagging physical issues.
His race Saturday was even better than it looks on paper. After closing into a fast pace in the Fair Grounds Handicap, Synchrony was intentionally kept closer to the leaders by jockey Joe Bravo.
“Joe and I talked extensively about this being a different turf course than last time,” Stidham said. “We were going to have to use different tactics. He got the first call out of the gate.”
Synchrony had an ideal spot along the rail and just behind the leaders when he bobbled going into the far turn and lost his position. That turned his trip trickier, but Synchrony still proved much the best.
Concrete plans haven’t been set for Synchrony, but the Grade 1, $500,000 Old Forester Turf Classic (formerly the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic) over 1 1/8 miles on May 5 at Churchill Downs will likely hold appeal.
“That would be the most obvious spot, but we’ll look at our options,” Stidham said.
Options for Good Samaritan
This much is certain: Good Samaritan returns to trainer Bill Mott’s stable at Payson Park in Florida for the near term. Beyond that, the horizon is clear for Good Samaritan, who has all sorts of options in coming months after winning his 4-year-old debut Saturday in the Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Handicap.
Good Samaritan rallied from last and won the New Orleans Handicap by more than two lengths going away. His raw time of 1:49.87 for the ninefurlong dirt race produced a 99 Beyer Speed Figure. The Player, the 4-5 favorite, was leading the New Orleans Handicap when he was pulled up on the far turn with a serious injury.
Good Samaritan already is a Grade 2 winner on both turf and dirt. His owners, WinStar Farm and the China Horse Club, want to get him a Grade 1, preferably on dirt, since WinStar is in the stallion business and dirt success commands more attention from the bloodstock industry in North America.
“We were discussing things a little already,” Mott said.
Discussing, but not deciding. Good Samaritan’s connections will see how the horse looks and acts out of his race before plotting a specific course. Grade 1 dirt races are in fairly short supply in coming months: The Metropolitan Handicap over one mile on the Belmont Stakes undercard and the nine-furlong Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs appear the most logical targets.
Mott’s other graded stakes runner Saturday, Forge, loomed and faded to seventh in the Muniz Handicap. The ninefurlong distance might have stretched him, but Mott said an outside, free-running trip didn’t help matters.
“He needs to be covered up, switched off,” Mott said.
Jockey, trainer races still close
This long meeting ends Saturday, and the jockey and trainer titles will be decided during closing week.
Through Sunday, Shaun Bridgmohan had ridden 63 winners, tops for the season, but only four better than Adam Beschizza’s 59 wins and five more than Florent Geroux’s 58.
The trainers race has long been down to Brad Cox and Joe Sharp, but it, too, still is up for grabs. Through Sunday, Cox, who has topped the standings for most of the season, had 69 wins to Sharp’s 66. Cox has a runner in only one race on Friday’s card, Sharp in only two. On Saturday, Cox has starters in two races, but Sharp runs horses in six.