Kanthaka suited for Stephens

ELMONT, N.Y. – The tweener distance of the Grade 2 Woody Stephens is a dividing line of sorts for the race’s competitive field of 12 3-year-olds, some of whom will be cutting back, while others will be stretching out. On Saturday at Belmont Park, everyone will meet in the middle at seven furlongs.

If there is a horse in the group ideally suited by seven-eighths of a mile, it is Kanthaka, whom Jerry Hollendorfer has shipped in from California. Kanthaka, who is coming off a victory in the Grade 3 Laz Barrera, is 0 for 1 at six furlongs, 0 for 2 at 1 1/16 miles or longer, and 3 for 3 at seven furlongs.

Flavien Prat, the leading rider at Santa Anita, will be in to ride.

Among those turning back in distance are Promises Fulfilled and Strike Power, who were first and second throughout in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, with Promises Fulfilled scoring by 2 1/4 lengths for Dale Romans.

Unfortunately, both horses were too revved up at the start of the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby and prompted each other through a suicidal opening quarter-mile of 21.95 seconds. Promises Fulfilled dropped back after six furlongs, while Strike Power remained prominent to the stretch. Ultimately, they both ended up at the rear of the field.

Trainer Mark Hennig backed off on Strike Power following that race and has since pointed to the Stephens.

“We didn’t really give him a break, per se, but we didn’t work him for a while, because there wasn’t any rush at that point,” Hennig said. “He’s been cranking back up and doing great.”

Strike Power looked good winning the Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream Park at seven furlongs prior to the Fountain of Youth, and seems set to rebound Saturday. He should show good speed under John Velazquez from post 12.

“It seems like a great spot to start back, the seven-eighths,” Hennig said. “He’s shown that he can sprint, obviously.”

Promises Fulfilled set the pace in the Kentucky Derby before tiring to finish 15th. He started off his career with back-to-back one-turn wins at Churchill Downs and Keeneland as a 2-year-old.

Owner Michael Dubb purchased World of Trouble following his 14-length debut win over $25,000 claimers at Gulfstream last August. He has made two starts for trainer Jason Servis– a near 14-length win in the seven-furlong Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and a third-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Derby.

Servis said World of Trouble is “doing good” for his first race in more than three months and that he is using the Stephens as a sort of measuring stick.

“I’m looking to run him to see where I am with him,” Servis said.

Among the horses stretching out to seven furlongs are Engage, The Tabulator, and Still Having Fun.

Engage is 3 for 5, all for Chad Brown, and has won three of his last four starts. His lone loss during that span came in his only start beyond six furlongs, the seven-furlong Bay Shore on Wood Memorial Day.

The Bay Shore was won by National Flag, who turned in an explosive performance to score by four lengths. Engage has since come back to post a game nose victory over Forced in the three-horse Gold Fever Stakes.

The Gold Fever was Parxbased Forced’s first loss in three starts.

Trainer Larry Rivelli tuned up The Tabulator for the Stephens with a handy win in the $50,000 Golden Circle at Prairie Meadows. Be careful not to downgrade him for his Iowa trip, it was his first start of the season and he showed his class last year by winning the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill going 1 1/16 miles.

Still Having Fun will be a long price in the Stephens, but ran very well to finish second behind the brilliant 3-year-old sprinter Mitole in the $200,000 Chick Lang at Pimlico three weeks ago for Maryland horseman Tim Keefe. After two attempts to stretch him out around two turns didn’t work, Keefe shortened him up to six furlongs over a sloppy track in the Lang and he closed well while wide. The two-time stakes winner should be headed in the right direction at the end of the Stephens.