Bullards Alley offers Elkhorn alternative

Now that the frenzy of the Kentucky Derby prep season is over, we’ve hit a relatively quiet interlude in the national stakes schedule before the spring classics begin, even with a $1.2 million stakes event Saturday. That race is the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic, one of four graded stakes that day. The others are the Grade 2, $250,000 Elkhorn at Keeneland, plus the Grade 2, $200,000 Kona Gold and the Grade 3, $100,000 American at Santa Anita.

Elkhorn Stakes

In an example of how far the fresh-is-best training philosophy has gone, three entrants in this 1 1/2-mile turf race will try to win off layoffs of five to six months. And none of the three is without a chance. In particular, Hunter O’Riley could definitely win if able to duplicate his fine form of last summer at Saratoga, which included a victory in the Bowling Green, and Call Provision is a hard-hitting New York-bred out of the Chad Brown barn, which seems to be winning with everything at this Keeneland meet.

But if any of the comebackers do score in this spot, they will do so without me. I consider Itsinthepost and Hayabusa One much the horses to beat.

Itsinthepost is the best turf male operating in Southern California, at any distance. He has won three straight Grade 2 stakes at Santa Anita, and counted this race as one of his three Grade 2 stakes victories in 2017. And Hayabusa One isn’t far off Itsinthepost. He was nosed and beaten less than a length by Itsinthepost when second in the San Marcos and San Luis Rey in his last two starts.

I have no argument whatsoever with Itsinthepost or Hayabusa One, but I do think Bullards Alley is a viable alternative at what should be a better price.

Bullards Alley made his last three starts at Gulfstream, finishing a narrowly beaten second in the H. Allen Jerkens, a close third in the McKnight, and fifth in the Pan American most recently. I take the fact that Bullards Alley ran as well as he did on Gulfstream’s hard, dirt-like turf a strong indication of how sharp he is right now, because I don’t think that’s the type of footing he really wants.

After all, Bullards Alley absolutely freaked on a bottomless Woodbine turf course last fall when he ran away with the Canadian International and earned a heady 114 Beyer Figure. Bullards Alley won’t catch that kind of soft going Saturday, but I think the footing he will get will be much more to his liking than what he saw at Gulfstream.

Henry S. Clark Stakes

Ring Weekend is an old Grade 1 stakeswinning pro who could win this race on memory. But I find Ghost Hunter intriguing, and he’s my play.

Ghost Hunter concluded his 2017 with a series of starts on synthetic, and moves back to turf for his 2018 bow Saturday. This repeats a pattern that almost worked for Ghost Hunter against tougher company in the 2017 edition of this race. After wrapping up his 2016 season with a string of synthetic track outings, he made his 2017 bow in the Clark and was a narrowly beaten third behind Ascend and Synchrony.

Notably, Ascend came back to win the Grade 1 Manhattan with a 104 Beyer, while Synchrony won the Fair Grounds and Muniz Memorial handicaps in his first two starts this year with triple-digit Beyers, and in the manner of a legitimate player in the male turf division.

Charles Town Classic

Despite the big purse, this drew only seven entrants, which reflects the shallow nature of the older dirt male division. However, even with the short field, this is a decent betting race to me because I see the first two favorites as being vulnerable.

Diversify won the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last fall. But he will be going nine furlongs around three turns off a fivemonth layoff. And War Story comes off a big win in the Challenger, for which he received a 107 Beyer, but he has had trouble pairing up triple-digit Beyers.

I like Something Awesome. Something Awesome improved dramatically after changing trainers and moving back to dirt last fall, winning four of five starts since, including the General George and Johnson Memorial in his last two starts. I envision him pulling a sweet stalking trip much like he did when he dominated the Johnson Memorial last time going this distance.